Ariya Jutanugarn Wins US Women's Open 2018

Ariya Jutanugarn Wins US Women's Open 2018

Ariya Jutanugarn has won the 2018 US Women's Open on her fourth playoff hole, against Hyo-Joo Kim. Winning the Championship did not come easily for the 22 year old Thai professional, who won the Women's British Open in 2016.

Jutanugarn had begun her final round on 12-under 204, four shots ahead of Australian Sarah Jane Smith and six ahead of South Korean Kim who was then in third place. Jutanugarn started well, birdying five of the first nine holes and giving her a seven shot lead over Kim. At that point it looked as though she could win fairly easily.

Then she arrived at No. 10. She drove into the trees, a triple bogey resulted and her lead was cut to four. At No. 12 she missed the green in regulation and lost another shot. Kim, meanwhile, hit her fifth birdie of the day on the 15th and Jutanugarn's lead fell to a single stroke.

Jutanugarn had just seen her six shot lead over Kim evaporate faster than the water in the sodden course. This experience might cause many to quail. Jutanugarn remained calm. There was a long wait at the par-3 16th, then she smashed a long shot to three feet for birdie.

When Kim missed a birdie on the par-five 17th it appeared that Jutanugarn had been handed the Championship. But then Jutanugarn went right through the green and dropped a chip. She had to hit in from six feet to avoid losing more than one shot. The pressure on her increased at the 18th. Her second shot went into a bunker and she was in trouble.

Kim, who is also 22 years old, had shot five birdies in a bogey free round. Both competitors were now on 11-under. They went to playoff.

Kim birdied the first hole, the par-four 14th but then dropped her shot on the 18th. They both made par on the third playoff hole. Then on the 18th Jutanugarn shot in from a bunker, saved par and won the championship.

“I’m really honoured to join the list of players before me," Jutanugarn said after her win.

“If you have a seven-shot lead and then go into a play-off, you have no expectation. I got mad a little bit about what happened in my back nine, but I thought if I have to play off, I have to do my best on every shot.”