South Korea’s Inbee Park fired a two-under 71 on Sunday to capture the US Women’s Open, becoming the youngest champion in the major championship’s history.
The 19-year-old Park started the day two shots adrift of the leader before rallying to finish at nine-under 283 for a four stroke victory.
“This is very special for me,” Park said. “In the 10 years I have been playing golf it finally happened.”
PHOTO: AFP
Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson shot a two-over 75 to finish second, while third round leader Stacy Lewis stumbled to a five-over 78. Lewis finished in a three-way tie for third with Brazil’s Angela Park (73) and South Korea’s Kim In-kyung (75).
Park shot under par in all four rounds and became the fifth first time winner on the LPGA Tour this year.
“Everything is happening so quickly for me. It is a little scary,” she said.
Park took the lead with birdies at the first two holes and was never caught as she carded a stellar round in strong winds at the Interlachen Country Club.
Park, who did not have a three-putt the entire championship, is the third South Korean to win the biggest title in women’s golf, joining Se Ri Pak (1998) and Kim Ju-yun (2005).
Park had no idea why her parents were up in the middle of the night to watch the 1998 Women’s Open on television at their home in Pundang, outside Seoul.
“I just woke up and was like ‘What are you guys doing?’ And they were like ‘we’re watching golf and Se Ri Pak is leading the tournament and she’s the first Korean if she wins,’” Park said. “I sat down there but I was half asleep. It was so big in [South] Korea and a lot of people picked up golf after that and I was one of them.”
She went to a local driving range two days later and progressed so rapidly that less than three years later, at the age of 12, she moved to the US to further her career.
A top junior talent before turning pro two years ago, she won the 2002 US girls’ junior championship and was a five-time junior All-American.
She finished 37th on the money list last year in her rookie season on the LPGA Tour.
Runner-up Alfredsson lauded the winner.
“She played fantastic and I was impressed by her composure. She’s going to win a lot more,” Alfredsson said.
Meanwhile, fellow Swede Annika Sorenstam bowed out in style in her final Open appearance before retiring at the end of the year.
She holed out with a six-iron from 200 yards for an unlikely eagle at the par-five 18th.
“My tank is empty,” said three-time Open champion Sorenstam.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was