Ladies's PGA Championship: Chun In-gee clinches third main

Muricas News  — 

Chun In-gee received the Ladies’s PGA Championship and her third main in Maryland on Sunday with a wire-to-wire victory, however not with out some ultimate day drama.

Ranked thirty third on the planet, the South Korean had led from the entrance courtesy of a record-breaking opening spherical at Congressional Nation Membership, setting a brand new course document earlier than extending her benefit to 6 strokes on the midway stage on Friday.

But a weekend drop-off noticed the 27-year-old’s lead shrink to 3 heading into championship Sunday, the place three holes from the shut, she discovered herself trailing Lexi Thompson. Having completed the opening spherical 10 pictures behind Chun, the American had held a two-shot lead with seven holes to play.

Bogeying 4 occasions on a disastrous entrance 9, Chun admitted the stress of battling for her first main in six years was attending to her.

“I need to inform fact, I couldn’t management all my stress,” she informed reporters.

“I consider if I stick with my recreation plan after which I've an opportunity within the again 9, so I attempt to dangle in there.”

And dangle in she did, as Chun rallied with 5 pars and a vital birdie on the sixteenth via the final six holes to complete three-over for the day and five-under total.

In the meantime, Thompson shot three bogeys via her closing 5 holes to see her grip on the title slip on the dying, as she ended one stroke in need of Chun, stage with Australia’s Minjee Lee in second.

Champion on the US Ladies’s Open in 2015 and the Evian Championship a yr later, the win marks the top of a four-year winless run for Chun, whose final LPGA Tour victory got here on the LPGA KEB Hana Financial institution Championship in October 2018.

It additionally sees her declare $1.35 million of a Ladies’s PGA Championship document $9 million purse, with the prize cash doubled from final yr’s occasion.

In an emotional press convention, Chun mirrored on the fruits of a troublesome four-year journey via which she stated she had confronted calls from some to retire.

“After I obtained a droop, some individuals stated, ‘In-gee, it is best to retire as a result of your recreation just isn't good proper now,’” she stated.

“However it doesn't matter what they stated, I consider I could make a win once more. I’m so proud now.”

Talking to her older sister final week, Chun admitted that, struggling to “see the aim,” she was contemplating leaving the US. But when her sibling suggested she give up golf to prioritize herself, Chun realized she was not able to stroll away.

“I feel this win feels actually particular as a result of I all the time stated my despair is getting higher,” Chun stated.

“I actually cried [talking to her sister] … After I heard what she stated, I consider I nonetheless have a spirit, nonetheless need to play golf.

“I’m simply so joyful to make win in spite of everything that occurred. I simply need to hold saying, ‘I’m so happy with myself.’

“That’s why I need to hold saying due to everybody who believed in me and by no means gave up on me.”

US Open champion Lee, who narrowly missed out on a second main in the identical month, believes the win will give Chun “an enormous confidence enhance.”

“I feel she went via just a few hardships right here and there,” Lee informed reporters.

“So I feel she’ll be actually, actually joyful and simply grateful for everybody round her.”