Kim wins US Women’s Open debut with record breaking comeback | LPGA

HOUSTON (AP) – A Lim Kim made her first appearance at the US Women’s Open a memorable Monday, closing with three birdies to tie the record for the biggest comeback and win the biggest event in women’s golf.

And in the final major of that pandemic year in sport, she won wearing a mask.

The 25-year-old South Korean started the last, cold round at Champions Golf Club five strokes behind. He wore a heavy down jacket between shots and delivered a 4-under-67 for a one-shot win over Amy Olson and Jin Young Ko.

“I still can’t really get into my being the champion,” she said minutes after being soaked in champagne for a day in her 40s.

Kim became the seventh player to recover from five strokes behind in the final round of the US Women’s Open and the first since Annika Sorenstam on Broadmoor in 1995.

Olson asserted herself amid the grief when she learned that her father-in-law had died unexpectedly in North Dakota on Saturday night. She was in tears on the track on Sunday morning before the rain shifted the last lap to Monday.

Olson, without a win on the LPGA Tour in seven years, had a two-shot lead over the back nine after 54-hole front runner Hinako Shibuno stalled. But there was nothing she could do about Kim’s late attack, and Olson fell behind when her hybrid jumped over the green and into a thick brown rough on par 3-16, resulting in a bogey.

She screwed the final hole for a 72 after Kim had already secured the title.

“I’ve been feeling very weak and helpless for the past few days and probably on the golf course today,” said Olson, fighting back tears. “I really believe the Lord has just carried me through. It just makes you realize how much bigger life is than golf. But I’m happy with my overall result and my performance.”

Ko, world number 1 who recently returned from South Korea where she was riding the COVID-19 pandemic, also made the 18th birdie when it was too late to catch Kim. Ko finished on a 68, one of only six players to break the par on the final round where the cold and mud-splattered golf balls added to the difficulty.

Kim finished the race at 3 under 281 and won $ 1 million. She contributed to the South Korean dominance of this major, the ninth winner in the past 13 years.

Shibuno attempted to win a second major on her first attempt after winning the Women’s British Open in her first tournament outside of Japan last year. Her short game only carried her so long, however, and she fell out of the lead by starting the final nine with consecutive bogies.

Shibuno screwed the 18th hole for a 74 and finished two behind him. Only four players finished under par.

Olson recovered from three straight bogies early on the lap and looked so solid for so long that she took advantage of their length and the high trajectory of their irons. She walked 11 straight holes without a bogey and still has no regrets about the hybrid that sealed her fate.

She had 170 yards to cover the bunker in front of the 16th green and based on how far her 5 iron had flown on the previous hole, she knew that would be enough. Her hybrid was beautiful in flight, but ran over the back of the green, giving her little chance of par.

By then, Kim was on the way attacking flags. Her 5 iron on the 16th settled 4 feet away. She hit 8-iron which rolled out to just under 2 feet on the 17th to take the lead, and closed at just under 10 feet with a pitching wedge and pumped them first when her third straight birdie fell.

“I watched the rankings throughout the lap and knew how many shots I had back,” she said through a translator. “That’s probably why I tried to hit more aggressively and attack the pegs.”

A two-time Korean LPGA winner, Kim rose from the world rankings to the US Women’s Open when the pandemic prevented the USGA from conducting an open qualifying session. She had slipped to 94th place, the lowest ranked player to win the Open since the women’s world rankings began in 2006.

She is the second non-LPGA member to win a major this year and joins Sophia Popov in the Women’s British Open. She is also the third South Korean woman to win a major. The second-placed Sei Young Kim won the PGA for women and Mirim Lee the ANA Inspiration – also 94th in the world.

Kaitlyn Papp, Texas senior, screwed 18th for a 74 to land 3 to 287, six strokes behind ninth to be the low amateur.