CNN
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Chun In-gee gained the Girls’s PGA Championship and her third main in Maryland on Sunday with a wire-to-wire victory, however not with out some last day drama.
Ranked thirty third on the earth, the South Korean had led from the entrance courtesy of a record-breaking opening spherical at Congressional Nation Membership, setting a brand new course file earlier than extending her benefit to 6 strokes on the midway stage on Friday.
But a weekend drop-off noticed the 27-year-old’s lead shrink to a few heading into championship Sunday, the place three holes from the shut, she discovered herself trailing Lexi Thompson. Having completed the opening spherical 10 pictures behind Chun, the American had held a two-shot lead with seven holes to play.
Bogeying 4 occasions on a disastrous entrance 9, Chun admitted the strain of battling for her first main in six years was attending to her.
“I wish to inform reality, I couldn’t management all my strain,” she informed reporters.
“I imagine if I persist with my recreation plan after which I’ve an opportunity within the again 9, so I attempt to dangle in there.”
And dangle in she did, as Chun rallied with 5 pars and an important birdie on the sixteenth by means of the final six holes to complete three-over for the day and five-under general.
In the meantime, Thompson shot three bogeys by means of her closing 5 holes to see her grip on the title slip on the demise, as she ended one stroke in need of Chun, degree with Australia’s Minjee Lee in second.
Champion on the US Girls’s Open in 2015 and the Evian Championship a 12 months later, the win marks the top of a four-year winless run for Chun, whose final LPGA Tour victory got here on the LPGA KEB Hana Financial institution Championship in October 2018.
It additionally sees her declare $1.35 million of a Girls’s PGA Championship file $9 million purse, with the prize cash doubled from final 12 months’s occasion.
In an emotional press convention, Chun mirrored on the fruits of a troublesome four-year journey by means of which she stated she had confronted calls from some to retire.
“Once I obtained a droop, some folks stated, ‘In-gee, it’s best to retire as a result of your recreation is just not good proper now,’” she stated.
“However it doesn’t matter what they stated, I imagine I could make a win once more. I’m so proud now.”
Talking to her older sister final week, Chun admitted that, struggling to “see the aim,” she was contemplating leaving the US. But when her sibling suggested she give up golf to prioritize herself, Chun realized she was not able to stroll away.
“I believe this win feels actually particular as a result of I at all times stated my despair is getting higher,” Chun stated.
“I actually cried [talking to her sister] … Once I heard what she stated, I imagine I nonetheless have a spirit, nonetheless wish to play golf.
“I’m simply so completely satisfied to make win in spite of everything that occurred. I simply wish to preserve saying, ‘I’m so pleased with myself.’
“That’s why I wish to preserve saying due to everybody who believed in me and by no means gave up on me.”
US Open champion Lee, who narrowly missed out on a second main in the identical month, believes the win will give Chun “an enormous confidence enhance.”
“I believe she went by means of a number of hardships right here and there,” Lee informed reporters.
“So I believe she’ll be actually, actually completely satisfied and simply grateful for everybody round her.”
