As part of our series of year-end reviews, here’s a look at the five major champions of the 2017 LPGA Tour season.
SO-YEON RYU WINS ANA
Date: Apr. 2, 2017
Event: ANA Inspiration
Winner: So-Yeon Ryu -14
Runner-up: Lexi Thompson -14
What Happened: So-yeon Ryu and Lexi Thompson ended the final round tied for the lead at 14 under. Thompson had been assessed a controversial four-stroke penalty on her third round score due to a rules infraction first reported to the LPGA by a television viewer on Sunday. At the time of notification, Thompson was leading at 16-under with six holes remaining, and her score became 12-under, two strokes behind. Ryu sank a birdie putt on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win her second major title.
KANG CAPTURES PGA
Date: July 2, 2017
Event: KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Winner: Danielle Kang, -13
Runner-up: Brooke Henderson -12
What Happened: On Saturday, Danielle Kang birdied the 18th hole at Olympia Fields to take a share of the 54-hole lead at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. And on Sunday she did it again. This time to capture the major title, and her first career LPGA Tour win. Kang, a two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion, finished at 13-under par, one better than defending champion Brooke Henderson (66), who made a Sunday charge to finish at 12-under par.
PARK TAKES U.S. OPEN
Date: July 16, 2017
Event: U.S. Women’s Open
Winner: Sung-Hyun Park -11
Runner-up: Hye-Jin Choi -9
What Happened: South Korean rookie Sung Hyun Park posted a final-round 5-under 67 at Trump National Golf Club to capture the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open Championship. On the strength of matching weekend rounds of 67, the 23-year-old star finished at 11-under for the tournament, two strokes ahead of amateur Hye-Jin Choi (71), also of South Korea.
KIM SCORES BRITISH OPEN
Date: Aug. 6, 2017
Event: Ricoh Women’s British Open
Winner: In-Kyung Kim -18
Runner-up: Jodi Ewart Shadoff -16
What Happened: In-Kyung Kim posted a final round 1-under 71 at Kingsbarns and captured her first major title at the Ricoh Women’s British Open. Kim, who entered the final 18 holes with a six-stroke lead, got off to a dream start with a near ace on the par three opening-hole. A tap-in for birdie gave her a seven shot cushion, and from there the 27-year old put it on cruise control, finishing even-par over the final 17 holes, with just one birdie and one bogey against 15 cool pars.
NORDQVIST WINS EVIAN
Date: Sep. 17, 2017
Event: The Evian Championship
Winner: Anna Nordqvist -18
Runner-up: Brittany Altomare -18
What Happened: Anna Nordqvist fired a final-round 5-under 66 and beat Brittany Altomare in a playoff to win the Evian Championship, the final major of the LPGA Tour season. Nordqvist started her round five back of 36-hole leader Moriya Jutanugarn but overcame the deficit thanks to clutch eagles on two of the par 5s at Evian Resort Golf Club (No. 7 and 15).
Credits: Getty Images, LPGA Tour Communications