(12 July 2011 – The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs)
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In a tournament that took until Monday to finish, Korea&aposs So Yeon Ryu defeated compatriot and LPGA Tour rookie Hee Kyung Seo in a three-hole playoff to capture the 2011 U.S. Women&aposs Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado. American Cristie Kerr couldn’t find the necessary birdies over the final holes and finished in outright third, two shots shy of the playoff.
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rnA total of 30 golfers had to return to the course on Monday morning to finish their final rounds. There were 42 players who completed their final rounds on Sunday before play was called due to darkness at 8:00 p.m. Final-round play had been suspended earlier in the day on Sunday at 3:18 p.m. due to inclement weather and resumed at 5:54 p.m. Seo had finished her round on Sunday and posted the leading score in the clubhouse at 3-under par, while Ryu had three holes to play and was sitting on 2-under par overnight.
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rnUpon resumption, Ryu recorded a par on No. 16 and then had a birdie putt on No. 17 that lipped the edge of the hole before heading to No. 18 needing a birdie to tie Seo. Ryu hit her second shot to eight feet on the tough par-4 and rolled the putt in centre-cup to force the three-hole aggregate playoff.
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rnThe first ever all-international playoff in a U.S. Women&aposs Open began on the par-3, 163-yard 16th hole with both players hitting 7-irons onto the green. They both missed their birdie putts of around 15 feet and settled for pars. On the par-5 17th, Seo hit her drive into a bunker on the right side of the fairway with Ryu in the fairway.
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rnAfter punching out of the bunker into the fairway Seo had 264 yards remaining, then proceeded to hit her third shot right of the green into the rough. Ryu took full advantage of Seo&aposs mistake and with only 129 yards left to the green; Ryu knocked a pitching wedge to about eight feet. Seo missed her par putt before Ryu drained her birdie putt to take a two-shot advantage into the final hole. On 18, both players hit drives in the fairway but Ryu stuck her approach to four feet and sank the putt to win the playoff by three strokes.
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rnRyu, who turned 21 last month, is the first player from Korea to win an LPGA Tour event this season and the third-youngest U.S. Women&aposs Open winner behind Inbee Park and Se Ri Pak. With her win, Ryu takes home $585,000 and secures her LPGA card after playing in this event on invite as one of the leading two players on the KLPGA Money List.
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rnAfter finishing she was asked about her plans with regard to her instant LPGA Membership, to which she said, “First, thanks for the media staying for Monday. Actually, my plan is if I graduation at the university, I try the qualifying school. Qualifying school is really tough, but now I win this tournament, so I just coming here just direct. So it&aposs really happy. When I was start golf Se Ri Pak won the U.S. Women&aposs Open tournament, so this tournament is really specially for me. But I won this tournament, so I&aposm really happy and unbelievable. And thanks for everything, yeah.”
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rnRyu and Seo are no strangers to seeing their names together at the top of a leaderboard. After Jiyai Shin left to play on the LPGA Tour, Seo and Ryu emerged as two of the top players on the KLPGA Tour and developed a competitive rivalry.
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rnSeo, who celebrated her 25th birthday on Friday, even after losing the playoff said it was still special having two Koreans face each other in a playoff for a major championship. “Lots of Korean fans waiting for our winning this year, but it&aposs like already July but we didn&apost won any of them. So like both me or So Yeon, I think they were cheer both of us. So, yeah, I feel very happy for South Korea player won this great, big tournament.”
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rnThere WAS an Australian connection with the winner with Dean Herden on the bag. It is Dean&aposs second Major after capturing the 2008 Ricoh Women&aposs British Open with Shin. Both Ryu and Seo have also been visitors to Australia’s major tournaments in recent years. Ryu finished 12th at this year’s Women’s Australian Open following her 5th place at the ANZ Ladies Masters the year previous. Meanwhile, in 2010, Seo finished 4th at the ANZ Ladies Masters and 10th at the Women’s Australian Open.
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rnOnly two of the five Australians in the field made the cut with Karrie Webb having her best finish at the US Open in a number of years. She finished in a tie for 6th, just five strokes behind the leaders and she was asked about her final few holes to which she said, “Well, a couple of pars, so I didn&apost do any damage. I would have liked to have made one birdie, but happy with how things went this week. You know, I left a bunch of shots out there, but I think anyone can say that at a U.S. Open. It&aposs my best performance at a U.S. Open for quite some time. I&aposm happy with that.” Lindsey Wright also made the cut finishing in a tie for 50th at 14-over par.
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rnThe players now head to France for the Evian Masters starting on the 21st of July, where they will once again compete for US$3.25million.