Ryu Hae-ran savors dream-come-true moment after winning maiden LPGA major
Ryu Hae-ran, poses with the trophy after winning the Women's PGA Championship golf tournament at Hazeltine National Golf Club, in Chaska, Minn., June 28. AP-Yonhap
After Ryu Hae-ran shot a one-over 73 in the opening round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship on Thursday in Minnesota, few, if any, would have given her a chance to win this major tournament come Sunday.
In fact, with the 36-hole cut eventually set at two-over at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Ryu had to come back with a strong round Friday just to stay in the tournament.
Ryu did just that, shooting a bogey-free 64 in the second round to jump to second place. However, Ryu was still five shots behind her countrywoman, Yoon Ina, who started 63-69.
Ryu then soared to the top of the leaderboard after shooting a 68 on Saturday, as Yoon stumbled with a 75. And with a solid final round of 70 that included five birdies against three bogeys, Ryu held off Yoon by two shots at 13-under 275 for her very first major title.
It made Ryu the first player in the last 60 years to win an LPGA major after being down by 10 or more shots after the first round.
"It is dreams come true. I am so happy," Ryu said. "Next tournament, they will introduce me like, 'Major champion, Haeran Ryu.' It is amazing for me."
Ryu, 25, took about a month off prior to this tournament to treat a nagging abdominal injury. It forced her to miss the previous major tournament, the U.S. Women's Open, earlier in June.
Ryu said she used her down time wisely, as she tried to stay stress-free away from the grind of the tour and enjoyed home-cooked meals from her mom.
"It was a little bit sad (to miss the U.S. Open) but it is OK," she said. "I worked hard again and got good rest, and had a good time with my parents and my friends."
Ryu recalled that she never considered herself out of contention even after shooting an over-par round Thursday.
"I just thought, 'This is the comeback tournament. I just want to play on the weekend,'" Ryu said. "Then in the second round, I had eight birdies and the bogey-free round. It just feels like a dream right now."
Ryu even made a bold decision to change her putter mid-tournament. In the first round, Ryu reached 15 greens in regulation but needed 34 putts to get around the par-72 course. She went back to the same putter that helped her finish runner-up at the Kroger Queen City Championship in mid-May before she hit the sidelines.
The switch paid huge dividends, as Ryu had just 26 putts in the second round. In the final round, she made some clutch par putts down the stretch to stay out in front.
Though Yoon ended up being the runner-up to Ryu, Brooke Henderson of Canada was also locked in a battle with the South Korean champion in the final group, before finishing tied for third at 10-under. Henderson briefly led Ryu on the front nine and the two made matching birdies at the 10th and 11th holes. But Henderson took herself out of contention with a bogey at the 14th.
"She is a great player and so I knew she was doing well," Ryu said of her playing partner. "I just focused on my golf and trusted myself. So that worked."