US Open joy for Ji
A birdie at the final hole clinched Eun Hee Ji victory in the US Women’s Open at the Saucon Valley Country Club.
A birdie at the final hole clinched Eun Hee Ji victory in the US Women’s Open at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Pennsylvania.
The 23-year-old from Korea calmly rolled in a 20-foot downhill putt to finish on even par and clinch her maiden championship title.
The late drama denied Candie Kung of Taiwan the chance to take part in a play-off. She had to settle for finishing alone in second on one over.
Cristie Kerr, who had led the way after the second and third rounds, finished on a four-round total of 286, the same as South Korean In-Kyung Kim.
American Brittany Lincicome was a further shot adrift in fifth spot with compatriot Paula Creamer and Ai Miyazato Japan tied for sixth on four over.
However, it was Ji who ended up on top of the leaderboard, an even-par round of 71 enough to clinch her a stunning success.
Her bid for glory appeared to have hit the rocks when she double-bogeyed the 10th but three birdies – including her dramatic putt at the last – proved enough.
“I was extremely nervous before that last putt,” she said through an interpreter afterwards. “I was extremely disappointed at the double bogey but after that I made a couple of birdies and I got the feel back in my shots.
Playing partner Kerr – who triumphed in the event in 2007 – started the day with a two-shot advantage over Ji but lost top spot after a five at the par-four 13th.
The bogey was the fourth of the day for the 31-year-old and she carded another at the 16th, eventually signing for a disappointing 75.
All the final round scores & totals in the LPGA Tour US Women’s Open, Saucon Valley Country Club, The Old Course, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States.
(USA unless stated, par 71):
284 Eun Hee Ji (Kor) 71 72 70 71
285 Candie Kung (Tai) 71 77 68 69
286 In-Kyung Kim (Kor) 72 72 72 70, Cristie Kerr 69 70 72 75
287 Brittany Lincicome 72 72 73 70
288 Paula Creamer 72 68 79 69, Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 74 74 71 69, Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 74 71 72 71
289 Na Yeon Choi (Kor) 68 74 76 71, Hee Young Park (Kor) 70 74 72 73, Kyeong Bae (Kor) 75 73 69 72
290 Song-Hee Kim (Kor) 74 69 75 72
291 Jennifer Song 72 74 73 72, Ji-Yai Shin (Kor) 72 75 76 68, Sun Ju Ahn (Kor) 75 71 72 73, Morgan Pressel 74 75 69 73
292 Lindsey Wright (Aus) 74 70 77 71, Anna Grzebien 73 77 69 73, Jean Reynolds 69 72 74 77, Teresa Lu (Tai) 76 69 70 77, Jimin Kang (Kor) 76 71 74 71, Akiko Fukushima (Jpn) 76 72 72 72, Meaghan Francella 73 72 74 73, Laura Davies (Eng) 72 75 73 72, Nicole Castrale 74 71 74 73
293 Anna Nordqvist (Swe) 71 75 75 72, Juli Inkster 78 73 72 70, Jessica Korda 72 77 75 69, Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 69 79 73 72, In-Bee Park (Kor) 75 71 77 70, Alison Lee 75 72 76 70, He yong Choi (Kor) 77 74 74 68
294 Sun Young Yoo (Kor) 72 74 72 76
295 Louise Friberg (Swe) 75 72 73 75, Karrie Webb (Aus) 75 72 74 74, Amy Yang 75 71 75 74, Alexis Thompson 71 73 78 73, Maria Hernandez (Spa) 74 72 77 72, Kristy McPherson 71 74 77 73
296 Young Kim (Kor) 71 75 76 74, Brittany Lang 75 74 73 74, Sandra Gal (Ger) 75 71 77 73, Michele Redman 77 73 76 70, Ji-Young Oh (Kor) 76 71 74 75, Azahara Munoz (Spa) 72 76 74 74, Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 72 77 72 75, Mi-sun Cho (Kor) 76 74 73 73
297 Hee Kyung Seo (Kor) 75 73 73 76, Maria Jose Uribe (Col) 75 76 69 77, Stacy Lewis 78 73 76 70, Shanshan Feng (Chn) 74 74 76 73
298 Giulia Sergas (Ita) 75 67 76 80, Karen Stupples (Eng) 73 75 78 72, Christina Kim 72 76 79 71, Hye Jung Choi (Kor) 72 75 75 76, Amanda Blumenherst 75 76 73 74
299 Yuri Fudoh (Jpn) 73 71 80 75, Stacy Prammanasudh 73 75 78 73, Mika Miyazato (Jpn) 75 76 76 72, Haeji Kang (Kor) 73 78 77 71
300 Becky Morgan (Wal) 75 76 73 76, Meena Lee (Kor) 72 79 75 74, Cindy Lacrosse 76 75 76 73, Ji-Hee Lee (Jpn) 77 72 77 74
301 Allie White 74 73 78 76, Allison Fouch 75 75 77 74
302 Karine Icher (Fra) 76 74 79 73, Mina Harigae 77 72 80 73
304 Jennie Lee 75 76 78 75
306 Candace Schepperle 73 78 76 79
307 Carolina Llano 73 77 78 79
312 Lisa Ferrero (Mex) 77 74 84 77
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