Monday 4 June 2018 05:57, UK
Ariya Jutanugarn overcame a remarkable back-nine collapse to clinch the US Women's Open title after four extra holes against Hyo Joo Kim at Shoal Creek.
Jutanugarn was cruising to a comfortable victory after an outward 32 gave her a seven-shot advantage, but she frittered away that lead with a series of mistakes after the turn, beginning with a triple-bogey seven at the 10th.
Her troubles coupled with some astonishing long-range putting from Kim produced a dramatic finale which had appeared unlikely halfway through the final round, and the pair finished 72 holes tied on 11 under when Kim returned a 67 while Jutanugarn bogeyed the final two holes to sign for a 73.
The pair headed back to the 14th tee to begin a two-hole aggregate play-off, and Kim sank another long putt for birdie to gain the upper hand as Jutanugarn could not follow her in from 10 feet.
Jutanugarn then flew the green with her approach to 18 while Kim's came up short and found the front-left bunker, from where she was unable to get her escape close to the hole and two-putted for bogey while her Thai opponent played a delightful pitch and converted from four feet to force sudden death.
Both parred the 14th at the second time of asking, with Kim's 20-foot putt for victory shaving the right edge of the hole, and after Kim blocked her second to the 18th into the right greenside trap, Jutanugarn's flushed approach found the back-right bunker.
Kim splashed out to 15 feet from long range, but world No 5 Jutanugarn played arguably the best bunker shot of her career as she got her ball to within two feet of the flag.
And, after Kim's par putt missed the target, a relieved Jutanugarn tapped in to secure her second major, and her first since her three-shot win at the Women's British Open two years ago.
The 22-year-old started the final day with a four-shot advantage and birdied two of the first three holes either side of a bogey at the second, and further gains at the fifth, sixth and ninth appeared to have put the result beyond doubt.
But the first signs of trouble emerged on the 10th tee, when she carved her drive way right into the unknown and went on to run up a triple-bogey seven which opened the door for Kim.
The deficit reduced further when Kim drained a monster 60-foot putt for an unlikely birdie at the 12th, where Jutanugarn blotted her card again moments later.
Kim then got another huge putt to drop at the 15th which got her within one of the long-time leader, but Jutanugarn regained her composure to knock a precise tee shot in close at the short 16th which lifted her spirits heading to the final two holes.
The South Korean was unable to take advantage of the par-five 17th, which was playing as the second-easiest hole, but Jutanugarn fared even worse after pulling her lay-up into the rough, missing the green with her third and then chunking her chip.
She did well to hole from eight feet to salvage a bogey and then stripe a confident long-iron down the centre of the fairway at the last just as Kim nailed a tricky six-footer for par to cap a bogey-free 67.
But the drama intensified further when Jutanugarn found the front bunker with her approach and caught her splash-out too heavy, and her 12-foot putt for victory slid past the left side of the hole.
The top two finished four shots clear of Solheim Cup star Carlota Ciganda, whose five-birdie 69 ensured her best finish in a major, and there was another four-shot gap to last year's KPMG Women's PGA champion Danielle Kang.
World No 3 Lexi Thompson carded a 70 to finish on two-under alongside halfway leader Sarah Jane Smith, who concluded a miserable weekend with a six-over 78.
Inbee Park, who currently tops the world rankings, was the ninth player to finish under par, with England's Charley Hull and 2014 US Open champion Michelle Wie closing on level par for the week.
