[ad_1]
A Lim Kim made her first appearance at the US Women’s Open on a memorable Monday, closing with three consecutive birdies to tie the record for the biggest comeback in tournament history and win the largest women’s golf event.
Starting the last icy round at Champions Golf Club five shots behind, the 25-year-old South Korean wore a thick jacket between shots and delivered a four-under 67 for a one-shot victory over Amy Olson and Jin Young Ko.
Kim became the seventh player to rebound from five shots back in the final round of the US Women’s Open, and the first since Annika Sorenstam at The Broadmoor in 1995.
Olson stood his ground amid the pain of learning that his father-in-law died unexpectedly Saturday night. He was crying Sunday morning on the field, before the rain pushed the final round to Monday.
Olson, winless in seven years on the LPGA Tour, held a two-stroke lead in the final nine after 54-hole leader Hinako Shibuno failed. But there was nothing he could do about Kim’s late loading, and Olson backed off as his hybrid at par three 16 jumped onto the green and turned rough brown and bushy, sparking a ghost. He birdied the final hole for a 72 after Kim had already secured the title.
A Lim Kim reacts after making a birdie on the 18th in Houston. Photograph: Eric Gay / AP
Ko, the world’s number one player who recently returned from South Korea where she overcame the Covid-19 pandemic, also birdied the 18th when it was too late to catch Kim. Ko closed with a 68, one of six players who broke the pair in the final round. Shibuno closed with a 74 and finished two shots back.
Kim finished at 281 three under par and made $ 1 million. It added to the South Korean dominance of this major, the ninth winner in the last 13 years.
Results collected from the final round at the US Women’s Open Hosted by the USGA (USA unless noted, par 71):
281 A Lim Kim (Cor) 68 74 72 67
282 Amy Olson 67 72 71 72, Jin Young Ko (Kor) 73 70 71 68
283 Hinako Shibuno (Jpn) 68 67 74 74
285 Megan Khang 70 69 74 72
286 Moriya Jutanugarn (Tha) 68 72 72 74, Inbee Park (Kor) 71 72 75 68, Jeongeun Lee (Kor) 73 69 73 71
287 Ariya Jutanugarn (Tha) 70 70 74 73, (a) Kaitlyn Papp 71 68 74 74
288 Sayaka Takahashi (Jpn) 73 72 72 71, Min-Young Lee (Kor) 74 68 76 70
289 (a) Yuka Saso (Phl) 69 71 77 72, Haeran Ryu (Kor) 72 72 70 75, Maja Stark (Swe) 70 72 73 74, (a) Gabriela Ruffels (Aus) 71 72 76 70, Lydia Ko ( Nzl) 71 70 72 76, Linnea Strom (Sweden) 69 75 73 72, Eri Okayama (Jpn) 76 69 72 72
290 So Yeon Ryu (Kor) 72 73 73 72, Sei Young Kim (Kor) 72 69 73 76, Ally Ewing 73 72 76 69
291 Chella Choi (Kor) 73 72 75 71, Jenny Shin 72 70 77 72, Jessica Korda 72 73 74 72, Cristie Kerr 71 69 74 77, Nasa Hataoka (Jpn) 71 73 75 72, Sarah Schmelzel 71 69 76 75, Linn Grant (Sweden) 69 69 78 75
292 Madelene Sagstrom (Sweden) 74 71 72 75, Hye Jin Choi (Kor) 70 73 76 73, Jennifer Kupcho 70 72 75 75, Ashleigh Buhai (Rsa) 71 69 79 73, Charley Hull (England) 69 73 78 72, Ingrid Lindblad (Sweden) 72 69 74 77, Cheyenne Knight 75 69 72 76, Bronte Law (England) 73 72 71 76, Ji Yeong Kim (Kor) 75 70 67 80, Lauren Stephenson 72 72 74 74
293 Yealimi Noh 72 69 72 80, Perrine Delacour (Fra) 72 71 73 77, Hannah Green (Aus) 72 73 73 75, Sophia Popov (Ger) 69 76 75 73
294 Stacy Lewis 72 68 77 77, Brooke M. Henderson (Can) 72 73 77 72
295 Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (Fra) 70 72 75 78, Gaby Lopez (Mex) 74 71 74 76, Brittany Lincicome 70 75 73 77, Lindsey Weaver 70 70 75 80, Minjee Lee (Aus) 74 71 75 75, Lizette Salas 72 69 75 79
296 Danielle Kang 72 71 79 74, Seon Woo Bae (Kor) 75 68 76 77
297 Jennifer Song 77 68 76 76, Mone Inami (Jpn) 73 71 76 77, Azahara Munoz (Spa) 71 70 78 78, Anna Nordqvist (Swe) 73 71 75 78
298 Mi Hyang Lee (Kor) 72 73 79 74, Pernilla Lindberg (Swe) 74 70 75 79
299 Yui Kawamoto (Jpn) 73 72 74 80
300 Mamiko Higa (Jpn) 73 72 75 80, Mina Harigae 70 74 77 79
301 Narin An (Kor) 72 72 79 78, Jodi Ewart Shadoff (English) 70 72 79 80
303 Kana Mikashima (Jpn) 75 69 80 79
304 Su Oh (Aus) 75 70 78 81
