Share

South Korea’s In Gee Chun Wins US Women’s Open

She was three under Sunday and five under overall.

Advertisement

“I mean it’s hard”.

Chun, who grew up in a rural community, said her father, Jong Jin, lost his small business, and her mother, Eun Hee, lost her job running a restaurant when she was growing up.

Chun In-gee, a 20-year-old South Korean, surged to third place with a two-under 68 for a four-under-par 206, one stroke better than Japanese Tour veteran Shiho Oyama, who shot a 71 after sliding back with a double-bogey at the par-four fifth.

Yang, who has twice before played in the final pairing at a U.S. Open, will have another golden opportunity on Sunday paired again with Lewis. “That has put me in the great rhythm of play, and I enjoyed that tournament rhythm”.

Park, who holds a Ph.D.in environmental management from Michigan State and also works as a TV golf commentator, said Chun has reached about 90 percent of her potential but already possesses the most important ingredient for success in golf.

After a birdie on 12, Chun began making long putts and clutch shots, which led to three straight birdies on 15, 16, and 17.

The last twosome off, Yang answered every time Lewis tried to trim her three-shot deficit.

Yang said shell draw on those tournaments on Sunday.

Chun made birdie at No. 15, No. 16 and No. 17 to move to 9-under for the tournament but a bogey on the closing hole allowed Yang to tie heading to the her final hole.

Chun finished on eight-under 272 while Yang was second after a closing 71. Lewis battled her way past Yang a year ago and she’s prepared to repeat that performance at Lancaster with even higher stakes. “I just want to be enjoying every bit of the time”.

While unknown to American audiences, Chun has performed well overseas. The victory was well-deserved, and as told by her smile, very real. This week marks the fifth time that she’s been in this position at an LPGA event and she’s only won once – at the 2013 KEB-HanaBank LPGA Championship – in her previous four 3rd round leads. She was ranked 20th in the world entering the tournament this week.

In Gee Chun, playing in her first U.S. Open, shot a second 2-under 68.

Witnessed by record-shattering galleries of more than 135,000 for the week, Chun becomes the sixth Korean-born player to capture the crown in the last eight years.

When Yang took a bogey at 14, she fell into a three-way tie for the lead with Chun and Lewis.

“My game is there“. “Amy didn’t give me anything out there”, Lewis said. “I hope we can get them involved with golf because there is a lot of scholarship money out there for female golfers”. She has been in the last grouping two of the last three years, and in 2010.

“That was the only time that I pretended to be mad at her”, the coach said.

Lewis went on to comment on the atmosphere. It was a typical US Open.

You are exclusively responsible for your comments and by using TribLive.com you agree to our Terms of Service.

South Korea would also be represented in third place with world number one Inbee Park carding a round of 67 to end her challenge three shots adrift on five-under par.

Brooke Henderson was strong however. Suffering from bursitis in her left hip, Wie struggled noticeably to complete her swing, but still managed to shoot a 70 and finish 11th at 2-under 278.

Advertisement

Lancaster Country Club presented the players with a new look Sunday.

Gee Chun