OTTAWA, Ont. – Although Sung Hyun Park is an LPGA Tour rookie, she certainly hasn’t been playing like one in 2017.
Park, who captured the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this year, fired a 7-under-par 64 on Sunday – the round of the day – to win the CP Women’s Open by two shots over Mirim Lee.
“I think it was a perfect game today,” she said. “There were no mistakes today, and I think it was perfect.”
Park is essentially a lock for the LPGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year award this year, after her major victory a few weeks ago followed by her win this week. She made no bogeys Sunday and birdied two of her final three holes to lock up her seventh top-10 finish of the year.
“Because I am a rookie, I don't really worry about every shot. I just did every shot with confidence. My confidence made me do well this year,” explained Park, who will be taking two weeks of holidays in Orlando starting next week, and admitted there may be a trip to Disney World in the works.
Lee had two eagles on her scorecard Sunday, and locked up her best result since her victory earlier this year at the KIA Classic.
Shanshan Feng, Marina Alex, Cristie Kerr, In Gee Chun, and Nicole Broch Larsen finished in a five-way tie for third at 10-under.
For Alex, it was her best-ever finish on the LPGA Tour. She credited the set up of the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club as part of her success. She was able to take advantage of the pristine conditions all week long.
“I thought the overall set-up was great,” she said. “I thought they set the course up perfect today.”
For Chun, it was her sixth top-3 finish of the season.
“I really enjoyed this week. Today is Sunday, so a lot of spectators come out here. I really like their support for the players. I really appreciate it,” she said.
After Park’s 7-under final-round score, it was Jane Park who notched one of Sunday’s best rounds, a 6-under-par 65. She moved into a tie for eighth at 9-under alongside Hyo Joo Kim, and Mo Martin.
Park made three birdies in a row on No’s 15 through 17, and said patience was key.
“I just stayed really patient because I’ve been hitting the ball really well all week, but not many putts were falling,” she admitted.
Beatriz Recari said she was ’85 percent’ recovered from a myriad of health issues that caused her to withdraw from the U.S. Women’s Open after the first round, and miss the last few weeks on the LPGA Tour, but she managed to finish at 8-under par, and in 11th place alone.
“I had to withdraw from the U.S. Open, and my very beloved Marathon Classic (which she won in 2013) and the British Open. It was a bummer to have to withdraw from all those events that I really liked and wanted to play. Took some time to recover physically. Did some really good work in the off weeks. Lots of positives,” she said. “I would have loved to finish a little stronger, but at the same time… performance-wise, definitely by far the best (week), so I'm very, very proud of myself.”
World No.1 So Yeon Ryu (who was 2-under through four but finished at even par for the day), Stacy Lewis, Mi Jung Hur, and Ottawa’s own Brooke Henderson finished a shot further back at 7-under.
For Henderson, her tie for 12th was her best result at the CP Women’s Open, and although she just couldn’t get anything going on Sunday, she said the large crowds – all week long but especially during the final round – kept her feeling positive.
“The crowds were incredible, and to have that support behind me from the very start of the week, Monday, when they were out here following me and cheering me on, it was so amazing. Today didn't go quite as well as I would have liked, but still having that support around me was amazing, and I'm going to remember this week forever,” said Henderson, who admitted she wanted to win this event so badly it had affected her with some of the shots she hit.
“I got off to a little bit of a shaky start, but the fans helped me stay in it. I made the cut on the number, shot a great round yesterday. Even par today wasn't too bad. It was a little shaky at times, but to finish with a couple birdies on the back was really helpful. The golf course was in incredible condition. It was just perfect weather, perfect week.”
Michelle Wie withdrew prior to the start of the fourth round, as she needed to get her appendix removed, and had emergency surgery at the Ottawa Hospital. And update will be made available when possible via her management team.
The LPGA Tour heads to Portland next week for the Cambia Portland Classic presented by JTBC where it’s Henderson who will be leading the charge as the two-time defending champion.
Next year’s CP Women’s Open will be contested at Wascana Country Club in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Earlier in the day, the Canadian Pacific Railway announced the tournament had raised $2 million for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
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