Karrie Webb logged a top-10 finish, Minjee Lee roared home for her best result in a major and Inbee Park regained the No. 1 ranking on the final day of the Women’s PGA Championship at Westchester in New York today.
Webb, whose spot as Australia’s top-ranked player was under threat, carded a final-round 72, one-under par, to finish tied-seventh in the season’s second major, her best result of the year.
The 40-year-old remains under threat from teenage sensation Lee, who shot a brilliant 67 today with seven birdies to finish tied-13th.
Lee, 19, a member of Golf Australia’s rookie squad, has had three good results in a row, beginning with her win in the Kingsmill Championship. Her previous best result in a major was tied-16th at the Evian Championship in France last year, her first event as a professional.
Meanwhile South Korea’s relentless Park won by a whopping five shots to leap into the world No. 1 ranking, overtaking New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, who missed the cut in New York and surrendered the top billing she has held for 19 weeks.
Park began the final day two shots ahead and blew everyone away with a closing 68.
Remarkably, it was her third consecutive win in this event, which has had a name change since last year. She previously won the tournament (which was known as the LPGA Championship) at Locust Hill last year and Monroe Country Club the year before.
It is a feat only previously achieved by the great Annika Sorenstam, who won three straight LPGA Championships from 2003-2005.
Park is a phenomenon, having won five of the past 12 majors since the start of 2013. With six career majors, she has moved to a tie for ninth on the list of LPGA major-winners with Pat Bradley, Betsey King, Patty Sheehan and Kathy Whitworth.
Meanwhile Australia’s Rebecca Artis finished fourth in the Symetra Tour’s Decatur-Forsyth Classic in Illinois. Artis, who has been in fine form in Europe, is having a few starts in America as she tries to extract an LPGA Tour playing card.