A Lim Kim sparks Major comeback to win US Women's Open

Moriya Jutanugarn

In her major debut, A Lim Kim has become a major champion. The 25-year-old from the Republic of Korea birdied her final three holes on Champions Golf Club’s Cypress Creek Course on Monday to surge to -3 and win the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open.

Lim is the seventh player to make a five-stroke comeback in the final round to win the U.S. Women's Open, and the first since Annika Sorenstam in 1995 at The Broadmoor. She is also the first player since Eun Hee Ji in 2009 to birdie the final hole for a one-stroke win.

Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko and first-round leader Amy Olson, playing with a heavy heart after the sudden death of her father-in-law on Saturday, tied for second at -2, with third-round leader Hinako Shibuno in solo third at -1. The final round was completed on Monday after torrential wind and rain on Sunday caused the USGA to suspend play due to course conditions and dangerous weather conditions.

Kim’s victory came in her first appearance in a major championship. With the win, she is eligible to accept immediate Membership on the LPGA Tour.

“I'm very honored to win the 75th U.S. Women's Open. Still can't really soak in that I'm the champion, but it feels different winning the tournament here,” said Kim, who got a congratulatory FaceTime call from her idol Annika Sorenstam while conducting her post-victory responsibilities. “Back in Korea the style and the environment is different. But I'm really glad, and through COVID-19 we had a lot of difficulties, but glad we had the U.S. Women's Open held in Houston. It was a great win.”

Kim started the cold and blustery day at +1, five strokes and three groups behind Shibuno. She made the turn in 3-under 33 but dropped shots at 10 and 11 to fall back to Even. Her surge began with a 9-foot birdie on the par-3 16th, followed by a dialed-in 8-iron approach for a 3-foot birdie at No. 17. She capped her round with a 7-foot birdie at No. 18, punctuated with a hearty fist pump and knuckle bump with her caddie, Daihoun An.

“I've been eyeing the leaderboard throughout the round and I knew how many shots I was back,” said Kim. “That's probably the reason why I tried to hit more aggressive, tried to more attack the pins.”

Olson and Ko both birdied the 18th hole to come up one stroke short of forcing a playoff. Olson played with the hearts of the golfing world in her corner, after the unexpected death of her father-in-law, Lee Olson, on Saturday. She used Sunday’s unexpected off day to rest and gather her thoughts as she headed into one of the most pressure-packed rounds of her career.

“Coming out this morning I had no idea what to expect. It was just one of those things, I felt very weak and helpless the last couple days, and probably same went today on the golf course,” said Olson, who came up short for the third time while playing in the final group at a major. “I really believe the Lord just carried me through.”

After boeying three of her first four holes, Olson got back on track with birdies at 5 and 6. An ensuing string of nine consecutive pars, combined with the field faltering around her, gave Olson a two-stroke lead through 12 holes. But at the par-3 16th, which she aced in Thursday’s first round, Olson’s tee shot rolled just off the back of the green into an awkward lie and she could not convert the up and down. She finally rammed home a long birdie putt at No. 18, with tears streaming down her face as she hugged her caddie Taneka Sandiford, to join Ko in a tie for second.

Shibuno, looking to become the third player to win majors as their first two LPGA Tour titles, also birdied No. 18 to put a positive finish on an otherwise difficult round of 3-over 74. American Megan Khang rounded out the top five at +1.

Moriya Jutanugarn signed off at joint sixth with two over, a stroke better than former champion Ariya.

 

A LIM KIM ELIGIBLE FOR LPGA TOUR MEMBERSHIP

With her victory, A Lim Kim is eligible to accept LPGA Tour Membership. Should she accept Membership, she will be seeded into Category 7 on the Priority List, held for non-Members who win an official LPGA Tour event.

 

From the USGA, Kim also receives the $1,000,000 winner’s check; the Mickey Wright Medal; custody of the Harton S. Semple Trophy for the next year; and a qualifying exemption for the next 10 U.S. Women’s Opens.

 

A U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN THAT HAD MORE THAN ONE WINNER

Amy Olson’s life has always been about more than just herself. Family and faith are her north stars. On Olson’s hat is the logo of Golf Fore Africa, the humanitarian effort to bring clean drinking water to those in need. In her heart on Monday as she played the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open was her father-in-law, who died suddenly Saturday night.

 

This enormous talent from North Dakota, who at North Dakota State University set the NCAA career victory record with 20, played the final round buoyed by that Christian faith and the always-present love of her family, even though they mourned back home, far away from her.

 

Winless in 147 LPGA starts, Olson was looking to make her first Tour win a major championship. Twice before she’d been in this position, playing in the final group of a major. Both times she let it get away from her. But this was not a major championship that Olson lost or let slip away.

 

For more from Ron Sirak for LPGA.com, visit https://www.lpga.com/news/2020/a-us-womens-open-that-had-more-than-one-winner

 

JIN YOUNG KO REACHES SEASON FINALE WITH WOMEN’S OPEN SUCCESS

Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko had more than just a major title at stake this week. After choosing to remain at home in Korea when the LPGA Tour resumed play in July, Ko was on the outside looking in for next week’s CME Group Tour Championship. But with her second-place finish at Champions Golf Club, Ko is projected to vault into 46th in the Race to the CME Globe standings and qualify for her fourth consecutive season finale.

 

“This week is my best finish at the U.S. Open, so I can play next week, as well,” said Ko, who earned enough points in just three LPGA Tour events in 2020, with finishes of 34th, fifth and second. “I'm really thankful. This season is too tough with coronavirus, so I want to say thanks to USGA and all the volunteers.”

 

MEGAN KHANG ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO 2021

Anyone who finishes in the top five at the U.S. Women’s Open receives an automatic exemption into the next year’s tournament. And with the USGA taking the championship to the renowned Olympic Club in 2021, Megan Khang was extra excited by her fifth-place finish at Champions Golf Club.

 

“We have a tournament at Lake Merced and I know someone who's a member at Olympic Club, and he offers to take us out there. I was like, No, I want to go there when the Open is there,” said Khang. “I always tell him I'm holding off for the Open there, so I'm super ecstatic. I mean, to make sure that we're in the Open again is always an accomplishment and looking forward to any USGA event.”

 

This was Khang’s best showing in her eight U.S. Women’s Open appearances. Her previous best was a tie for 10th in 2018 at Shoal Creek.

 

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 94 A Lim Kim (68-74-72-67)

• She is the third player this decade to win in her major debut, joining Hyo Koo Kim (2014 Evian Championship) and Hinako Shibuno (2019 AIG Women’s Open)
• She is the 30th non-Member to win an LPGA Tour event and second this season, joining AIG Women’s Open champion Sophia Popov
• Kim is playing in her third LPGA Tour event, joining the 2018 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship and the 2019 BMW Ladies Championship
• She is in her fifth season on the KLPGA Tour, with victories at the 2018 OK SavingsBank Se Ri Pak Invitational and the 2019 Munyoung Queens Park Championship
• At 94th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, she is the lowest-ranked player to win the U.S. Women’s Open since the Rolex Rankings began in 2006