Ariya Jutanugarn was cruising at the U.S. Women’s Open at Shoal Creek, Ala., and then everything fell apart.
Jutanugarn held the 54-hole lead and made the turn on Sunday with a seven-stroke advantage, shooting a four-under 32 on the front, but it soon disappeared. She made a triple-bogey 7 on the 10th and bogeyed the 12th. She birdied 16 but fell back with a bogey on 17, and then needed to par the 18th to win. After finding the fairway with an iron off the tee, Jutanugarn’s approach found the green-side bunker. She blasted out and missed her mid-range putt and tapped in for a one-over 73.
Hyo-Joo Kim shot 67 Sunday in the group ahead of Jutanugarn, and she’ll take on Jutanugarn in a playoff to decide the women’s national championship.
They’ll play a two-hole sudden death playoff and proceed to sudden death play if still tied afterward. (UPDATE: Jutanugarn won on the fourth playoff hole.)
