Play kicked off early on Saturday morning with a number of players having to complete their round from Friday. Karrie Webb and Sarah-Jane Smith were the only two Aussie players who made the cut. Round 3 commenced mid-morning and it was breezy. I spent most of the day watching Karrie who started off extremely well with three birdies in the first four holes. It was there the run ended. The USGA had set up the course long at 6, 629 yards and combined with fast greens and windy conditions, attacking was hard and putts wouldn t drop. The course was playing tough and Karrie finished with one over par a good score considering there was only one player under par for the round. Inbee Park shot one under and only four players managed even par. Karrie had spent the first three rounds playing with Ai Miyazato and it looked like they were going to be paired again for the final round however a late birdie by Ai saw her finish one shot ahead of Karrie. Ai is a superstar in Japan and her superstar status certainly showed with a large contingent of media following her the entire tournament. On Day 4 we were again greeted with cloudy skies and winds and it was going to be another tough day at Sebonack Golf Club. The USGA set the course much shorter than Saturday however it was still playing tough. By lunchtime only two players were under par for the entire championship. The wind was blowing and scoring was hard so anything could happen. It was great to watch the leading group of I.K Kim and Inbee Park battle it out. Despite going into the final round four shots behind, I.K Kim put up a tough fight but Inbee was just too good. Despite shooting a two-over par 74 for the final round, it was enough to secure Inbee her third major for the year, an amazing feat. Of the Aussies, Karrie Webb finished in equal 13th place on 5 over par and Sarah-Jane Smith finished in equal 46th place on 13 over par. It was a fantastic week and I had an absolute ball watching the girls play.
Author: Emily Miller / Golf Australia