Whether it was battling through the tough conditions at Shoal Creek or withstanding the immense pressure that comes with closing out a major championship, Ariya Jutanugarn’s performance at the 73rd U.S. Women’s Open can easily be defined as a display of grit and grace.
There was Jutanugarn’s stellar play on Saturday that included a 4 a.m. wakeup call, 28-holes of Major Championship golf and a 5-under 67 score in the third round. Then she got off to a blazing hot start to her final round, opening with a 4-under 32 on the front nine.
And while a shaky back nine coupled with a competitor charging up the leaderboard resulted in a two-hole aggregate playoff that ended in a tie, forcing even more extra holes, Jutanugarn kept her composure and continued to attack on every shot.
Jutanugarn could have thrown in the towel but she did what Major Champions do, she competed. And ultimately, it paid off as she rolled in the winning putt on the fourth extra hole and then went on to hoist the winner’s trophy.
The narrative for today could have been very different but because of Jutanugarn’s fortitude and resolve, the story will be how her determined play in a thrilling playoff helped her take home the win and her second major title.
Congratulations, Ariya!
Fast Facts:
• This win marks Jutanugarn’s second major title and ninth professional win. Her first major title came at the 2016 Ricoh Women’s British Open.
• Jutanugarn becomes only the sixth player to win both the U.S. Women’s Open and the U.S. Girls’ Junior championships.
• Among the field of 156 of players that assembled at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club, 120 trusted a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, nearly 11 times the nearest competitor with 11 and more than all competitors combined.
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