The final round of the U.S. Women’s Open was supposed to be a classic head-to-head duel between Amy Yang and Stacy Lewis.
Someone forgot to tell 20-year-old In Gee Chun from South Korea. The 20-year-old rode her “girls just want to have fun” attitude all day Sunday at the Lancaster Country Club and ended up hoisting the U.S. Open trophy at day’s end.
She got there because she put on a marvelous birdie run down the stretch at the 15th, 16th and 17th holes and went to the 18th with a two-shot lead. She hooked her tee shot in the deep rough, had to wedge out then failed to get up-and-down for par.
Smiling, Chun finished with 66 and an eight-under par 272 total. She simply had to wait for Yang.
In the meantime Yang bounced back from bogeys at the 14th and 15th holes with an eagle two at the drivable par four 16th, then made birdie at the par three 17th. She was eight-under and par at 18 would mean a three-hole playoff with Chun.
Unfortunately for Yang, she drove into the deep rough on the left then wedged 63 yards short of the green. She hit a nice wedge shot that left her an uphill, 12-foot par putt for the tie. But at the moment of truth, Yang couldn’t produce and would finish runnerup in this event for the second time.
Her bogey finish gave her a 69 and second place alone at seven-under.
Lewis hurt her chances with a double-bogey six at the 15th hole and never recovered enough to press the leaders. She finished tied for third with Inbee Park at five-under.
“It was fun all week,” said the cheery Chun. “I just kept having fun out there.”
