“My knee hurt so bad last week, but when I got here on Monday and Tuesday, it was getting a lot better”, Jutanugarn said Sunday after collecting a winner’s cheque of $337,500.
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Ariya said following her third round on Saturday that she doesn’t watch the leaderboard.
Jutanugarn led going into the final round by two shots which was a good indicator of what was to come, as all her other wins this season came when she was leading going into Sunday. “I wanted to see how I’m feeling”.
In front: Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn has a two-stroke lead going into the final round of the Canadian Open.
That wasn’t the case all that long ago. “After I win like three tournaments in a row, I really strayed”. I just had to rest and take care of my knee. “I think that’s something that’s gotten better with my game is when it’s not good, I realize, ‘OK, just keep grinding away, it’s going to change, ‘ and the last six holes were great”.
Three-time champion, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko was four strokes back at eight under.
“And after the draw I just felt OK. I really want to make the cut, ‘” Jutanugarn said. Henderson beat Ko in a playoff in June in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her first major title, and successfully defended her Cambia Portland Classic title last month.
Kim, a two-time victor this year, closed with a 65.
“I had three bogeys today, but it was a really good finish on the 18th hole”, said Chun, whose two-day total of 9 under has put her in striking distance of accomplishing what she set out to do at the start of the four-day tournament. “But right now I feel more confident because I can hit my iron on the fairway and my 3-wood on the fairway”.
Australia’s Karrie Webb (64) and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist (68) tied for fifth at 15 under.
“On the back nine, everything went in”, Webb said. “But it’s been a great week”. 1 and 2, ran off four straight on Nos.
Alena Sharp (70) and Maude-Aimee Leblanc (69) topped the Canadians at 6 under. “I wish we have that moment in Thailand in a couple years”. “It’s only 45 minutes from my house”. The Golf Canada National Amateur Team member gained a wealth of experience and memorable moments in her first LPGA Tour event.
The 18-year-old Henderson was on a roll during Friday’s second round but found two bunkers en route to a double-bogey on the eighth hole, her second-to-last test of the day. Players 23 or younger have won 21 of the 23 tour events this year.
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Jutanugarn has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the upper echelons of women’s golf. With a three-day tally of 8-under 208, Henderson is now nine shots off the pace of leader Ariya Jutanugarn.
