ANOTHER CLOSE CALL
Amy Yang held the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Women’s Open Championship conducted by the USGA for the second-consecutive year and started the final round with a three-shot lead over Stacy Lewis. In 2014, Yang finished solo 4th and four shots back of champion Michelle Wie and this year fell just short of eventual champion In Gee Chun (-8).
This was her second runner-up finish (2012) at the U.S. Women’s Open and her fourth top-5 finish and fifth top-10
finish in the last six U.S. Women’s Opens. Yang is used to being in contention here and is looking on the bright side after another close finish.
“Yes, it was another good experience,” Yang said after the Championship. “It just didn’t go as well as I thought, but I learned another great lesson here. And it’s going to make me better player, improve my game.”
FIGHTER MENTALITY
Followers of the LPGA Tour have learned to never count out Stacy Lewis. The 30-year old double bogeyed the fifth hole to dig herself into an early hole but grinded through the next nine holes without a bogey and stayed right within striking distance of the lead.
“I don’t know. I just know the way this tournament is, and I know the way majors are that you can’t give up,” said Lewis. “And it was way too early to throw the towel in. I felt like I hadn’t missed a shot. I was hitting it the way I needed to, and I felt like I could make some birdies to still be in the tournament.”
The two-time major champ said knew it was going to be a shootout on the final nine holes and that she was fully aware of her position all day.
“I knew it wasn’t going to come down to the two of us,” said Lewis. “I knew somebody was going to shoot a number to get up there. But I watch scoreboards, whether I’m barely making the cut or I’m in the last group. So it doesn’t change for me…Obviously you could tell by some of the cheers and the roars there at the end that the group ahead of us was making some birdies.”
Lewis, who came up short on another major title said the week was not a total loss. She said the women’s game as a whole won this week with such a strong turnout in Lancaster, a crowd that broke U.S. Women’s Open attendance records.
“It was an unbelievable week,” said Lewis. “Just the energy in the crowd right off the first tee. The first tee was packed. It gave me some energy. I think I hit my longest drive of the day off the first tee, which I never do. The energy of the crowd, just walking up 18, seeing the number of people around that hole was unbelievable. And it’s great for women’s golf. It’s great that we’re on a big stage like this.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I think it was great. Since the practice round we had so many people coming out and watching us. It’s just so exciting to see that many people come out and watch us all the time. Over the weekend it was just amazing. There was roars everywhere on so many holes. And the last hole was just great. You really want to hit a great shot into the last green because there were so many people rooting for you.”
- Inbee Park on the great support at the Lancaster Country Club this week.
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