KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Recap

This week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship had a little bit of everything, and when the dust settled, a first-time major winner was hoisting the trophy.

Australian Hannah Green, who led wire-to-wire, put a bow on her first major triumph Sunday after shooting an even-par 72.

She held off the hard charging former world No. 1 Sung Hyun Park – who she beat by one after Park shot a 4-under 68 on Sunday – and a handful of other notable LPGA Tour winners including Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang, Lizette Salas, Mirim Lee, Hyo Joo Kim, Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu, Lydia Ko, and Ariya Jutanugarn, all of whom finished inside the top 10.

It was Green’s first LPGA Tour victory, let-alone major, but she didn’t come out of nowhere.

She’s a three-time winner on the Symetra Tour and had some serious support this week. She stayed in a house with eight others, one of who was countrywoman (and World Golf Hall of Famer) Karrie Webb. Green leaned on the multi-time major winner and fellow Australian for advice all week.

Green saved par from five feet after blasting out of a bunker on the 72nd hole to give Australia its first LPGA Tour major title in 13 years.

The nerves kicked in as Green came down to the final few holes, her first LPGA Tour victory (a major, at that) in her sights.

“I’m pretty much speechless,” said Green after her round. “I was really nervous the last five holes and just really… I made a clutch putt and that was kind of got me through another one. To make the one on the last is really is surreal.”

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

What’s in Hannah’s Bag:

Webb, ironically, was the last Aussie to win an LPGA Tour major. She also supports junior girl golfers in Australia, bringing two scholarship winners to America each year. Four years ago Green won one of those scholarships.

Green said if Webb ever gave up giving the scholarships, it’s something she’d love to take on.

“Girls’ golf in Australia isn’t as big as it is here but I think we are now starting to get everything in order for it to become better,” she said. “So, if I can help in anyway possible, I would love to.”

Green became the 11th player to win the last 11 majors on the LPGA Tour, a sign of increased parity. She was also the third golfer in the last five majors to make their major victory their first on the LPGA Tour.

“I think it’s hard when you have the lead overnight because there’s so many thoughts about what can happen. That was my first time doing it. I really didn’t want to talk about it or think about it,” she said of leading since Thursday. “I just wanted to take every shot, every hole just one step at a time and I think I did that well, especially the last five holes.”

The 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner, Brooke Henderson, was the top Canadian on the leaderboard this week.

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Having captured her ninth LPGA Tour title the week before in Grand Rapids, Henderson was one of the favourites come Thursday, but couldn’t recover from a 4-over-par 76.

She birdied her final hole of the day Friday to make the cut on the number and was under par on both Saturday and Sunday (71-70) to finish T-30. Henderson remains second on the season-long Race to the CME Globe standings.

Alena Sharp was the other Canadian to make the cut this week and she finished at 6-over and T-53. Jaclyn Lee (79-77) missed the cut, while A.C. Tanguay had to withdraw after her opening round due to a back injury.

The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship also marked the return of Michelle Wie who herself was battling injuries and has been all season.

Wie missed the cut by a wide margin after shooting 84-82, but she tearfully admitted on Thursday she wasn’t sure how much time she had left playing on the LPGA Tour.

She’s battled a myriad of pain problems over the last few years.

“It was kind of a little foolish to think that I would shoot really well, just hitting golf balls last week, at Hazeltine. It’s a tough golf course but I’m really, really happy that I played,” said Wie. “Just feeling a lot of joy just being out there, and, you know, competing again. It’s going to take time and I’ve just got to be patient.”

The LPGA Tour heads to the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G next week.

The next two majors on the LPGA Tour schedule occur in back-to-back weeks at the end of July (The Evian Championship) and the beginning of August (AIG Women’s British Open). The CP Women’s Open goes the week of August 22.

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