Danielle Kang will be the first to admit that she’s under-achieved in her professional career.
The 2013 U.S. Amateur champion put a stylish end to that Sunday at Olympia Fields.
Kang mustered an incredible birdie-run over the final nine holes and won her first professional tournament — the Women’s PGA Championship.
It was a pressure-packed afternoon outside Chicago. Kang found herself in a duel with defending champion Brooke Henderson after other would-be challengers, including overnight leader Chella Choi, fell by the wayside.
Kang looked like she’d go by the wayside as well after a bogey at the 10th hole dropped her back to nine-under par. But the magic run started at 11. Great shots and better putts saw her step off the 14th green at the top of the leaderboard. She was 13-under par.
Up ahead Henderson was three-under for her round, playing bogey-free golf. She was 10-under heading to 17 and a birdie-birdie finish saw her post 12-under.
Kang fell back into a tie with the young Canadian star when she bogeyed the 17th, her third of the round. It was tied as Kang headed for the tee at the par five 18th, she knew what she had to do.
The former Pepperdine University golfer hit a perfect driver, an even better three-wood from 233 yards out that left her just 30 feet from the hole with two putts for birdie and the championship. Her approach putt left her a nervous two-and-a-half footer for victory but she holed it like a seasoned champion.
Tears of joy snuck down her face as her mother greeted her on the 72nd green.
“I trusted in my game,” Kang said after her break-through victory. “I didn’t worry about anything else.”
