Carlota Ciganda from Spain was the leading LET player in the US Women’s Open conducted by the USGA on Sunday, when she tied for fifth place in the third women’s Major of the year at Trump National Golf Club (Old Course), Bedminster, N.J.
Ciganda fired rounds of 69 – 71 – 72 – 70 to end on six-under-par, five strokes behind the champion Sung Hyun Park, who finished at 11-under with rounds of 73 – 70 – 67 – 67.
England’s Charley Hull tied for 21st place, while Sandra Gal and Ashleigh Buhai tied for 27th.
Sung Hyun Park’s victory is her first on American soil. She has finished in the top 15 in six of the seven major championships in which she has played.
Park finished in the top-10 in three major statistical categories: driving distance (2nd), greens in regulation (tied for seventh) and putting (tied for eighth).
This is the second consecutive year that the winner of the U.S. Women’s Open trailed by seven strokes through 36 holes – and Park was involved in both comebacks. Park (143) trailed Shanshan Feng (136) at the halfway point this year, while Brittany Lang (143) trailed Park (136) in 2016 at CordeValle.
Feng is the first player since Helen Alfredsson in 1993 (and seventh overall) to lead after each of the first three rounds, but not win.
Hye-Jin Choi’s 9-under 279 is the lowest 72-hole total by an amateur in U.S. Women’s Open history. The previous record was 283 by Grace Park, who finished tied for eighth at Old Waverly Golf Club in 1999. It is the ninth time an amateur has finished runner-up in the championship and first since Morgan Pressel and Lang in 2005.
Choi was also the low amateur in the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open where she finished tied for 38th.
So Yeon Ryu’s tie for third is her fourth top-5 finish in the U.S. Women’s Open in the last five years. Ryu, the 2011 champion, has never finished outside the top-25 in her eight championship appearances.
Amy Yang’s tie for eighth is her sixth top-10 finish in her last seven appearances in the U.S. Women’s Open. She has yet to win a major championship, but has 17 top-10 finishes. This finish is her fifth top-10 finish in her the last six majors she has played in.
While 21 players from the United States made the cut, there were no Americans in the top 10 for the first time in the championship’s history.
