Haeran Ryu achieved her first major title by overcoming a challenging start, securing victory at the Women’s PGA Championship. Ryu finished with a score of 2-under 70, totaling 13-under 275, triumphing by two strokes over competitor Ina Yoon at Hazeltine National Golf Club. This victory marks Ryu as the sixth South Korean to win the tournament in the past twelve editions. The 2023 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year demonstrated resilience, becoming the first major winner in over 60 years to recover from a deficit exceeding ten shots after the initial round.
Starting her campaign on Thursday, Ryu posted a score of 73, positioning her in a tie for 70th place while Yoon set a tournament record with a 63. Ryu, participating in her first event after a six-week hiatus, overcame initial rust by adhering to advice from her coach to maintain confidence and trust in her abilities.
“You don’t have another problem so just trust your shot and trust your caddie and trust yourself on the golf course,” Ryu reflected during the awards ceremony on the 18th green.
The competition saw Brooke Henderson and Dewi Weber tied for third at 10 under, while three American players — Allisen Corpuz, Auston Kim, and Alison Lee — finished in a tie for fifth place, six strokes behind Ryu. LPGA Tour leader Nelly Korda closed a challenging weekend with a 73, landing in a four-way tie for eighth, failing to achieve three consecutive majors of the season.
Weather conditions were challenging, with thunderstorms delaying play by over three hours, which resulted in softer greens and gusty winds, complicating Hazeltine’s long fairways. Ryu was five strokes behind Yoon after the second round but surged to the lead by Saturday, entering the final round with a one-shot advantage over Henderson.
Ryu, aged 25, initially bogeyed three of her first five holes but regained composure, leveraging her skill in ball-striking amidst challenging conditions for putting. Ranking high on the tour in various metrics such as tee to green approach, Ryu separated from competitors with a strong finish over the last twelve holes.
Weber made history as the fourth female athlete from the Netherlands to complete in the top 20 of a major tournament. Yoon marked her highest performance on the LPGA Tour, effectively recovering from setbacks faced on Saturday and Sunday.
“Little disappointed yesterday and today, but I think I did pretty good job being under pressure and it’s just part of golf,” expressed Yoon. “I think it’s going to be a really big lesson in the big picture.”
As for Korda, whose season remains impressive despite recent challenges, she remains focused on upcoming majors including the Evian Championship and Women’s British Open. Despite facing difficulty with her short game, including multiple three-putts, Korda remains optimistic about future endeavors.
“I was just thinking about the way that I played,” Korda shared, “not like the realistic big picture that everyone is talking about.”
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