Ariya Jutanugarn, who held a seven-shot lead midway through the final round, triumphs in a four-hole playoff.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ariya Jutanugarn lost a seven-shot lead on the back nine Sunday, then prevailed on the fourth hole of a playoff to win the U. S. Women’s Open at Shoal Creek.
Jutanugarn, a 22-year-old from Thailand, made a clutch bunker shot to within a foot of the hole to save par, beating Hyo-Joo Kim of South Korea, who shot a 5-under 67 in the final round to force the playoff.
Jutanugarn started the day with a four-shot lead over Sarah Jane Smith of Australia and looked like she might win easily after opening with a 4 under on the front nine to stretch her lead to seven shots.
But a triple bogey on No. 10 cut the lead to four and seemed to shake her confidence. She still had a two-shot lead with two holes remaining, but closed with back-to-back bogeys to fall into a playoff after shooting 73.
In the end, the excruciating collapse set up an emotional victory and her second major championship. She also won the Women’s British Open in 2016.
The format for the playoff was a two-hole aggregate on 14 and 18, but the players were still tied after the two holes. The format then switched to sudden death, alternating between the same holes.
Kim looked like she might win the two-hole aggregate after making a long birdie putt on 14 while Jutanugarn settled for par. But Kim made bogey – her first of the day – on 18 while Jutanugarn made par again to send the format to sudden death.
On the fourth playoff hole at 18, both players went into greenside bunkers. Kim’s shot out of the bunker was decent, but Jutanugarn’s was phenomenal, rolling to within a foot of the hole and setting up an easy par putt.
Kim missed her putt for par and Jutanugarn tapped in for the win, turning toward her caddie and family for a happy, tearful embrace.
DeChambeau three-putted for bogey on the 18th for a 1-under 71 to get into a three-way playoff. He missed the green from the fairway on the 18th on the first extra hole and had to scramble for par. On his third try, he hit his approach to 12 feet behind the hole and made it for birdie to beat Byeong Hun An and win for the second time on the tour.
“I can’t believe I did it,” DeChambeau said.
Kyle Stanley ran off four straight birdies toward the end of his round until his final tee shot caromed off a tree and across the fairway into deep rough. He made bogey for a 70 and still got into a playoff, but was eliminated on the first extra hole with a bogey.
An closed with a 69.
Tiger Woods was never a serious factor. Starting five shots behind, Woods pulled within three shots with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifth hole. But his chances effectively ended when he missed a 3-foot par putt on No. 10, and he put his tee shot into a backyard for the second time this week. He closed with a 72 and ended one of his best ball-striking weeks in a six-way tie for 23rd.
Olesen finished one stroke ahead of the Italian for his fifth tour victory.
When Olesen stepped up to the tee at the par-4 18th, he held a two-stroke lead over Molinari.
But ahead on the green, Molinari sunk a 30-foot putt for birdie to slice the lead to one stroke. Then Olesen hit his second shot into a green-side bunker after driving into the rough.
But Olesen held his nerve, and got up and down.
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