Haeran Ryu recovered from a rough start to secure her first career major title, winning the Women’s PGA Championship by two strokes over Ina Yoon on a windy Sunday at Hazeltine National Golf Club.
Ryu shot a 2-under 70 to finish at 13-under 275 and become the sixth South Korean to win the event over the last 12 editions, flashing a big smile as she holed her last putt and friends ran out to douse her in celebration.
The 2023 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year was also the first major champion in at least the last 60 years to rally from a 10-plus-shot deficit after the first round. Ryu opened Thursday with a 73 in a tie for 70th place, as Yoon shot a tournament-record 63.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Dewi Weber tied for third at 10 under. Three Americans — Allisen Corpuz, Auston Kim and Alison Lee — tied for fifth place, six strokes behind Ryu.
Brooke Henderson 1 shot back of lead entering final round of Women’s PGA Championship
Nelly Korda wrapped up a frustrating weekend on the greens with a 73 to finish in a four-way tie for eighth, failing to become the third women to win the first three majors of the season.
The course was closed for most of the morning while a thunderstorm moved through the Twin Cities metro area, dropping more than an inch of rain and pushing all of the tee times back by 3 1/2 hours while players tried to stay focused and loose.
That left the greens extra soft and the air especially gusty, making many of Hazeltine’s notoriously long fairways even trickier.
