American Allisen Corpuz finished three shots ahead of England’s Charley Hull and South Korean Shin Ji-yai to win the US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.
Honolulu-born Corpuz, 25, shot a three-under 69 to finish on nine under and claim a first victory on the LPGA Tour.
Hull, 27, produced a stunning 66 – the lowest closing round – to move up from seventh to a tied second place.
“Unreal. This week has just felt like a dream come true,” said Corpuz, who was under par for all four rounds.
Corpuz went out in the final pairing, starting the closing round one shot behind Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, who shot a 76 to finish tied fourth on three under with American Bailey Tardy.
A turning point came at the par-three 12th, when Corpuz blasted out of a bunker and made a 16-foot par putt while Hataoka missed a five-foot par putt moments later to fall two adrift of the American.
Hull sank a 30-foot birdie putt at the par-five 16th to pull within two on six under with Hataoka making bogey at 14 to fall back.
But Corpuz responded moments later with a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-five 14th and when she added another from four feet at 15 she reached 10 under and surged ahead of Hull by four shots.
A bogey at the 17th brought the lead back down to three shots but the American could afford to enjoy the closing hole in what was the first time the US Women’s Open had been staged at the iconic venue on California’s Pacific coast.
“Every few holes, I kind of looked out and said, ‘I’m here at Pebble Beach’,” said Corpuz, whose previous best finish at a major was fourth at this year’s Chevron Championship.
“There’s not many places that are better than this.”
Hull equalled her best finish at a major after also finishing runner-up at the 2016 Chevron Championship.
The Kettering-born golfer put herself in position with rounds of 73, 72 and 71 and was on the hunt for a maiden major victory after firing an eagle on the second before birdieing three of her next four holes.
She picked up three more shots on the back nine to keep an element of pressure on Corpuz and, while bogeys at the fifth and 13th holes cost her, the Solheim Cup star was proud of her round.
“I just got off to a fast start,” Hull said. “I’ve been so focused and working on my game hard and today it just all clicked.”
Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh (71) and Ireland’s Leona Maguire (77) finished tied for 31st place on seven over par, while England’s Bronte Law and Jodi Ewart Shadoff were 45th and 48th on nine over and 10 over, respectively.
Ireland’s Aine Donegan was the second amateur, one shot behind Italy’s Benedetta Moresco on nine over, after finishing with a 77.
Source : BBC
