Park shoots 67, takes U.S. Women’s Open
BEDMINSTER, N.J. — Sung Hyun Park gave away the U.S. Women’s Open a year ago with a couple of bad rounds on the weekend. The South Korean didn’t make the same mistake this year.
Park shot her second straight 5-under 67 on Sunday and won a final-round battle with front-running Shanshan Feng and teenage amateur Hye-Jin Choi at Trump National Golf Club for her first LPGA Tour victory.
Park birdied the 15th to move into a tie for the lead and the 17th to open a two-shot edge after Choi made a double bogey on the previous hole. Park finished at 11-under 277 for a two-stroke win over Choi.
President Donald Trump attended the biggest event in women’s golf for the third straight day. There was a peaceful protest after he arrived at his box near the 15th green shortly after 3 p.m.
Park needed a fine chip from over the green on the par-5 18th hole to save par and win the $900,000 top prize from the $5 million event.
Walking to the scoring tent to sign her card, she got a thumps-up from Trump from his box.
Choi closed with a 71 to finish as the low amateur for the second straight year. She was 38th in 2016.
Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu (70) and fellow South Korean Mi Jung Hur (68) tied for third at 7 under. Feng, from China, had a 75 to drop into a tie for fifth at 6 under with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (70) and South Korea’s Jeongeun6 Lee (71).
Feng, who was the leader after the first three rounds and carried a one-shot edge into the final 18 holes, triple bogeyed the final hole.
“I think overall, before the last hole I did pretty well,” said Feng, who had only two birdies in the last two rounds. “I mean I did a good job hanging in right there because my putting was not really that great.”
The win was redemption for Park, who is the leading rookie on the LPGA Tour this year. She had the 36-hole lead in the Open last year and shot final
rounds of 74-74 to finish two shots out of a playoff with eventual champion Brittany Lang and Anna Nordqvist.
JOHN DEERE: In Silvis, Ill., Bryson DeChambeau overcame a four-stroke deficit to win the John Deere Classic by a stroke for his first PGA Tour title — and a spot next week in the British Open.
The 23-year-old DeChambeau birdied four of the final six holes at TPC Deere Run for a 6-under 65 and an 18-under 266 total. In 2015, the former SMU star became the fifth player to win the NCAA individual title and U.S. Amateur in the same year.
Third-round leader Patrick Rodgers shot a 70 to finish second.
DeChambeau made a 14-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to pull even with Rodgers. Rodgers then had a par putt on No. 17 lip out, and sent his tee shot on 18 into the rough.
Wesley Bryan (64) and Rick Lamb (66) tied for third at 16 under, and past tournament champions Steve Stricker (64) and Zach Johnson (67) topped the group at 15 under. SENIOR PLAYERS: In Owing Mills, Md., Scott McCarron shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 and took advantage of an uncharacteristic crash by three-time defending champion Bernhard Langer to win the Constellation Senior Players Championship.
McCarron finished 18 under to beat Langer and Brandt Jobe by one shot. The 51-year-old McCarron made up a six-shot deficit in the final round to capture his first major on the PGA Tour Champions.
The story of the day, however, was the stunning collapse by Langer. Seeking his third major win of the year, the 59-year German had a one-shot lead before dropping his tee shot in the water on No. 17. After taking the one-shot penalty, he missed a 4-footer and made a double bogey.
On 18, Langer lipped out a 6-foot birdie putt that would have forced a playoff. He finished with a 73 that included only two birdies.