In Gee Chun did her best to open the victory door for Lexi Thompson on a steamy Sunday afternoon at Congressional but Thompson’s short game wouldn’t let her grab hold of the Women’s PGA Championship.
Instead, it was a familiar scene, reminiscent of the 2021 U.S. Open where Thompson’s short game and the demons within caused Thompson to once again fall apart over the final six holes.
This ending was all too familiar for Thompson and it was Chun who overcame a bad start but played those important final six holes — the championship causeway — in one-under par while Thompson went two over, with bogeys on three of the final five.
Chun looked virtually unbeatable after the first two rounds — she was 11-under par, setting a new 36-hole record for the event. But a Saturday 75 brought hope to her pursuers. Chun still had a three-shot lead at the start of the final round. Thompson quickly got herself into the hunt with two birdies and in her first three holes coupled with Chun’s slow start – three bogeys in her first six holes.
Suddenly Thompson was at seven-under and in control of the tournament. She bogeyed the par three seventh but still led at the turn. At the 10th, she had a five-footer to get back to seven-under but a miss foreshadowed what would transpire on the final nine. Thompson still led by two when she stood over a two-footer for par at the 14th but then she put one of those awful strokes on it and completely missed the hole. Still, she was one in front. It looked as thought she righted the ship when she ran in a 12-footer for a bounce-back birdie at 15 from the back fringe.
At the par five 16th, she used her power to put herself pin-high right in two, with a standard pitch shot. A birdie would have virtually sewn it up but she put one of those awful shove-scoop-clank moves on her third and it sailed over the green. She powered her putt from the fringe well past the hole and walked off with bogey.
The handwriting was on the wall when she bogeyed the par-four 17th as well, three-putting from 25 feet and missing the second putt from about four feet — it totally missed the hole as well.
Chun, after shooting 40 on the front, was even for the back nine and she flipped things on Lexi at that fateful 16th by rolling in a 15-footer for what would prove to be the winning birdie.
Thompson had one last shot at forcing a playoff on 18. She had about 12-13 feet for a tying birdie but didn’t come close. Chun finished par-par and claimed her third major championship.
Chun spoke often during the week about her ability to “focus” on the shot at hand. For two days she was absolutely unbeatable — then golf happened.
It was good (64-69) then not very good (75-75). But she was able to regain that magic “focus” over the final six holes to pull this one out — with some major help from Thompson.
By day’s end, Thompson declined to make an comments about this latest collapse. Rightfully so. She hasn’t won a major since nailing her first at the 2014 Chevron and she hasn’t been in the winner’s circle at a regular LPGA event since the 2019 Shoprite. She’s had some ridiculous number of career runner-ups — more than 20. But this latest short-game implosion simply added to the growing scar tissue.
As for Chun, who once wrestled with quitting the game, her career is revived.
“I just want to keep saying, like, I’m so proud of myself,” she said after hoisting the trophy.
And she had every right to be just that.
