Saucon Surprise
Sometimes all you have to do is hang around in a major championship. Play solid golf and crave pars.
It took an even-par round of golf for Eun-Hee Ji to snatch the U.S. Women's Open crown from Candie Kung. What's more, she did it in dramatic fashion on the 72nd hole. Ji, 23, converted a 20-foot, lagging putt for birdie that left Kung, in the clubhouse, disappointed.
Ji won her first major shooting level-par 284, nipping Kung by one stroke. Cristie Kerr, who started the day in the lead, struggled to a 75. In-Kyung Kim, co-share of the lead until bogeying the 18th hole, tied Kerr at 2-over 286.
"I was extremely nervous before the last putt," said Ji through a translator. "I am still extremely nervous.
"I told myself the worst-case scenario is to go into a playoff. I was at ease and it went in."
Ji became the fourth Korean-born player to win in the last 11 years. She was the first woman to win in her second attempt since 1998, which incidentally was won by Korean Se Ri Pak.
When Ji birdied, she became the first player since Lauri Merten (1993) to win by one stroke with a birdie on the 72nd hole. When the ball dropped, she bear-hugged caddie Zac Austin.
Kung, the 2001 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champion, had been sequestered inside the clubhouse watching on TV. She held the lead for four holes down the stretch (Nos. 13-16). Kung capped off the 2-under 69 round with a par on No. 18. Never did she look at the scoreboard during the day.
"I did not know at all," said Kung when asked if she knew she had held the lead.
As much as the championship will be remembered for an exciting finish, ala Birdie Kim holing out from a bunker in 2005 on the 72nd hole, Kerr might one day recall this day when her putter betrayed her. She took 35 putts that left her bewildered. Kerr said she couldn't get comfortable with the green speeds.
Kerr had entered the round with a two-stroke margin on Ji. After her round Saturday, Kerr said she felt confident. And why not? Kerr has a mental toughness unlike many other players, and besides, she had the experience of having won a Women's Open crown on her side.
On the 16th hole, Kerr had positioned herself for a par. The 12-foot putt navigated the bumpy green, picking up speed. She eventually three-putted for bogey and could never catch Ji or Kung.
"It was a little disappointing," said Kerr. "I tried my heart out. I left it all out there today."
Ji Wins
5:50 p.m. - Eun-Hee Ji sank a clutch 20-foot birdie putt to win the 64th U.S. Women's Open.
Ji Enters No. 18 In Tie With Kung
5:35 p.m. - Eun-Hee Ji sank a nerve-racking 4-footer just above the hole on the par-3 17th to sustain her 1-over score. Cristie Kerr had a par save from 6 feet and remains at 2 over.
Just outside the clubhouse, Candie Kung (1-over 285) was watching intently.
"It's very exciting," said Kung. "I've been dreaming about this day ever since I started golf."
Kerr Three-Putts
5:19 p.m. - Candie Kung, who turned pro after her sophomore year in college, wrapped up her fourth round with a 2-under 69. She's in the clubhouse 1-over 285. Facing an uphill 25-footer for birdie, Kung had the right read but the ball ran out of steam.
On the par-4 16th, Cristie Kerr three-putted inside of 12 feet for bogey. She walked off the green mumbling to herself.
Eun-Hee Ji had a makeable 6-footer for birdie on No. 16 but pulled it. Kung and Ji hold the lead at one over.
Kim Drops
5:12 p.m. - When her 24-foot to save par ran out of legs on No. 18, In-Kyung Kim had to absorb bogey and fell one shot off the lead. She knocked in her 3-footer and waved to the grandstands on the 18th hole, finishing her day with a 1-under 70 and 2-over 286.
Crammed At The Top
5:09 p.m. - On the par-3 17th, Candie Kung narrowly missed holing out of the left greenside bunker. Instead, the ball rolled 15 feet past the flagstick. Her comebacker stopped roughly two balls to the left of the hole, bringing Kung to a crouch.
With the bogey, Eun-Hee Ji, Cristie Kerr, In-Kyung Kim are tied with Kung.
Ji Still Alive
4:53 p.m. - Eun-Hee Ji won't quit. She sank an uphill 35-footer for birdie on No. 14 that dropped her into a three-way tie for second at one over par. Cristie Kerr, one of those players at one over, dropped in a crucial 7-footer to save par on the 15th. An animated fist pump followed.
In-Kyung Kim, on the par-3 17th, converted an 8-foot putt for par from the back-right fringe.
On the par-4 16th, leader Candie Kung knocked in a critical 8-footer to save par. Incidentally, she went 41 holes without making a birdie. She opened the championship with 22 straight pars.
Kim Makes Push
4:45 p.m. - In-Kyung Kim has title hopes on her mind, sinking a putt inside 10 feet for birdie. She drew even with Cristie Kerr at one over par, one shot behind behind leader Candie Kung.
Kung Pars
4:41 p.m. - Candie Kung scrambled well. She had a 30-yard chip to 5 feet, then saved par that brought a mild fist pump.
Kung Has Lead
4:38 p.m. - Almost simultaneously, Cristie Kerr, Candie Kung and Brittany Lincicome missed critical shots. Kerr dropped out of the lead with a bogey on the par-4 15th. She had to pitch out of greenside rough, which set up a 5-foot par-save putt. Kerr pushed it.
After driving into the right rough on No. 15, Kung's approach shot fell well short of the green.
Lincicome, standing over a 4-footer for par on No. 16, yanked it and took bogey.
Kung leads by a stroke, but perhaps only briefly.
Side Notes
4:27 p.m. - Inbee Park, last year's champion, finished up with a 1-under 70 for an aggregate 9-over 293.
Today's scoring average is three shots lower, at 73.014, compared to the first three rounds.
If Candie Kung wins, she'll become the first U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champion to triumph at the Women's Open.
Lincicome Hanging In
4:20 p.m. - After hooking her approach near the grandstands on the par-4 15th, Brittany Lincicome kept her title hopes alive with a masterful up and down. She saved par inside 5 feet to remain at two over.
While that was happening, Cristie Kerr got out of a greenside bunker on the par-5 12th, the ball stopping within 8 feet. She pulled the birdie attempt and settled for par.
Candie Kung and Kerr are still tied at level par, followed by Lincicome, In-Kyung Kim at two over.
As an aside, the wind had picked up appreciably.
Stalemate At Top
4:02 p.m. - Candie Kung, the 2001 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champion, dumped in a 5-foot birdie on the par-5 12th hole to grab a share of the lead. There was little break. Kung and Cristie Kerr are tied at even par.
Stalemate At Top
4:02 p.m. - Candie Kung, the 2001 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champion, dumped in a 5-foot birdie on the par-5 12th hole to grab a share of the lead. There was little break. Kung and Cristie Kerr are tied at even par.
Ji Drops, Lincicome On Move
3:54 p.m. - If Eun-Hee Ji doesn't win, she may look upon her fate on the 10th hole as the turning point. Ji got out of a greenside bunker, but the ball rolled off the green. She wound up taking a double bogey, which dropped her score to three over.
Brittany Lincicome, in a bid to win her second major of the year, birdied her 12th and 13th holes to fall to two over, just two strokes behind leader Cristie Kerr.
Making The Turn
3:49 p.m. - Cristie Kerr is clinging to a one-stroke lead after making the turn even par. She shot 2-over 38 for her first nine. Candie Kung and Eun-Hee Ji trail by the stroke.
Scores Falling
2:57 p.m. - Then were no red numbers. Cristie Kerr bogeyed Nos. 5 and 6 to drop to even par. She's hanging on by one stroke over Eun-Hee Ji. After a bogey on No. 7, Candie Kung fell to two over.
Today's Setup
2:37 p.m. - This is from Mike Davis, our senior director of rules and competitions.
Weather Forecast – we received 1.2 inches of rain last night. The golf course handled it quite well. The stream did not flood (as would have likely been the case without the recent stream renovation on the Weyhill Course that allows water to flow much better downstream).
We should see sunny conditions for the remainder of the day. Today’s winds are predicted out of the northwest (at 10 – 15 mph later in the afternoon). This is basically the opposite wind from yesterday.
Green speeds – once again averaging low 13s on USGA Stimpmeter (hole 11 is in the low 12s). Greens were double cut and rolled this morning. They will be very similar in speed from rounds 1 – 3 but will be softer.
Water management – in anticipation of last night’s rains, no water was applied to the golf course (we would have done so very early this morning had the forecast been incorrect).
Mowing of Grass – the 1st cut of primary rough was mown last night; the 2nd cut of rough was not. Fairways, greens, approaches, teeing grounds and intermediates were mown this morning.
Course Setup Info – Round four yardages and other pertinent info are as follows:
Total Approximate Yardage for round 4 (to center of greens) – 6,337 yards (total yardage for rounds 1, 2 and 3 was 6,708, 6,714 and 6,486 respectively)
Hole 2 – tee markers moved up 18 yards (to allow more drives to catch the down slope and to compensate for soft fairway conditions)
Hole 3 – tee markers moved up 28 yards so the drive zone is further left (i.e., if players use the same club off the tee as rounds 1 – 3, they must aim a good bit more left around dog-leg); the hole location is front left just over the stream.
Hole 4 – 165 yards
Hole 6 – tee markers moved up 46 yards to 513 yards. This hole should play with a helping wind.
Hole 7 – tee markers moved to the penultimate teeing ground (426 yards) to put different drive zone into play (narrower fairway set more to the right and more drive zone bunkers); the hole should play with a helping right to left cross wind to a deceptively tough back left hole location.
Hole 8 – tee markers moved up 15 yards (to back of next teeing ground) to allow players to challenge the bunker and large tree on the inside of the dog-leg (230 yards over bunker to fairway)
Hole 9 –221 yards (back teeing ground) to a back center hole location. This very long hole should play into the wind.
Hole 10 – tee markers again moved up to most forward teeing ground (built specifically for Women’s Open) to allow some players to drive the green. A direct line (which was lasered) to the flagstick is 242 yards (234 yards to the front edge of the green). The hole location is front left making a miss to the left problematic. The tee shot to the green requires the player to either play over the large elm tree or curve the ball left to right around it. A lay-up off the tee is also challenging with this front left hole location.
Hole 11 – 167 yards (playing 176 uphill) to a front left hole location
Hole 12 – tee markers moved up 24 yards to allow players to challenge bunker and trees on the inside of this dogleg. A carry (which should be downwind) of 226 yards should result in the ball catching the steep down slope so a player might be able to go for the green in two shots.
Hole 15 – tee markers moved up to forward teeing ground – 257 yards. A direct line (which was lasered) to the flagstick is 244 yards (239 yards to the front edge of the green). The challenging hole location is placed on top of the front knob making for difficult approach shots if the player decides to lay-up off the tee. With the forecasted northwest winds (a hurting left to right cross wind), we may see fewer players than anticipated attempt to drive the green from the tee.
Hole 17 – 126 yards; tee markers were moved up to the forward right teeing ground. The hole will play downhill and downwind to a hole location in the small back left bowl. The flagstick is 2½ paces from the left and 3 ½ paces from the back edge of the green. A properly played shot can be funneled into the bowl.
Hole 18 – tee markers were moved to the next teeing ground – 388 yards (i.e., we’ve stepped down one teeing ground each of the 4 rounds to bring different features of the drive zone into play). The carry over the drive zone bunkers on the left starts at 240 yards; further left is 250 yards and even further left to the large open fairway way left (over the short trees) is 261 yards. The hole should play downwind. The hole location is set in the back right bowl of this “Biarritz” putting green. Properly played approach shots should feed into this area.
Kerr Regains
2:25 p.m. - Cristie Kerr didn't begin her round the way she'd like, bogeying the first hole. However, two holes later she carded a birdie to get back to two under for the championship.
Candie Kung has applied pressure, moving to one over. Eun-Hee Ji dropped a stroke on the par-3 fourth.
The way it stands right now is Kerr (two under), Kung (one over), Jim and In Kyung-Kim (two over).
Eagle On 15
1:12 p.m. - Amateur Jessica Korda drove the 15th green Sunday after the tees were moved up. She eventually eagled and had been two under through 16 holes. The 15th was kind to her this week. Besides the eagle, she carded two birdies and a par.
They're Off
12:55 p.m.
Bethlehem, Pa. - The fourth round of the 64th U.S. Women's Open is well underway. The leaders tee off at 1:30 p.m.
