Women’s Scottish Open
O’toole’s Journeyman Wait For Win Is Over
O’toole’s Journeyman Wait For Win Is Over
Ryann O’toole captured her first LPGA title at the 228th attempt and after 11 years on tour with a three-shot victory at the Women’s Scottish Open. The 34-year-old American shot a bogey-free round of 64 to be 17 under par for the tournament.
“I’ve been working my whole life for this and dreaming about it since I was a kid. I feel like it’s been ten years now, wondering when it’s going to happen and I just feel like this year’s been very much kind of aligning and things are falling together,” she said.
“I still feel like I’m in shock and the tears are going to come later when things die down. The hours and grind and heartache this sport brings, the constant travel, for this moment, I hope it only happens again and again.”
O’toole finished at 17-under 271. With the wind down and plentiful sunshine, Lydia Ko closed with a course-record 63 to post 14 under, tying for second with Atthaya Thitikul (66).
“I putt pretty well today and hit a pretty solid round today, 6-under, but at least it’s not enough for the win,” Thitikul said. “I just know that I tried my best and I’m proud of myself already.”
O’toole began the day tied for the lead at 9 under with Ariya Jutanugarn and Charley Hull, and the American took the lead with birdies on three of her first four holes.
Thitikul drew even with O’toole with a birdie on the par-3 sixth, but O’toole got back in front with a birdie on the par-4 ninth to turn in 31. She maintained her advantage throughout the back nine and finished with eight birdies, including all four par-5s.
“I tried not to look at the leaderboard,” O’toole said. “I tried to just trust in my caddie to guide me to whether we needed to lay or get aggressive, stay patient or whatnot. It wasn’t until 18 that I saw that Lydia was not far off and I could tell when I made the birdie on 17 that there must have been some sort of gap because people were cheering, and I was like, OK, clearly I can’t mess this up too badly now.”
Jutanugarn shot 68 and finished at 13 under, and Hull was another shot back after her fourth straight 69. Ally Ewing, who will represent the U.S. in the Solheim Cup for the second time this fall, matched Ko’s 63 and finished at 11 under.
O’toole made the Solheim Cup team as a rookie in 2011 and went 2-0-2 in her matches, but her best tournament finish in 11 LPGA Tour seasons was third, most recently in 2018.
The LPGA continues to remain in Scotland for the Women’s British Open at Carnoustie, the final major championship of the year.