Ji-Ae Shin wins AIG Women’s Open, Lilia Vu wins two majors… No Korean player has won a major this year
Lilia Vu (USA), the granddaughter of Vietnam’s “boat people,” won the AIG Women’s Open to claim her second major title. Shin Ji-ae finished third and Kim Hyo-joo and Yang Hee-young tied for fourth to round out the top 10, but South Koreans remained without a major this season.
Lilia Boo shot a 5-under 67 with six birdies and one bogey for a 14-under 274 total in the final round of the AIG Women’s Open ($9 million purse), the final major of the season on the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour, at Walton Heath GC (par 72-6713 yards) in Surrey, England, on Wednesday to win by six strokes over co-leader Charley Hull (8-under 280-England).
Boo made his first birdie on the second (par-4) and added a second on the ninth (par-3) for an 11-under total and a three-stroke lead. Hull made two bogeys on the front nine to drop to third and Hyo Joo Kim moved into second place, but no one could stop Boo’s dominance. Boo birdied the 10th and 12th holes to open up a four-stroke lead and cruise to victory.
After winning her first career title at the Honda LPGA Thailand in February, Boo now has three wins on the season and two majors this year, including her first major of the season, the Chevron Championship in April. She earned $1.35 million for her victory.
At the Chevron Championship, which moved to Texas this year, Vu, who became known as the “Lady of the Lake” after her maternal grandfather escaped communist Vietnam in 1982 by building a large boat, won the Annika Maier Award, given to the player with the best finish in a season’s majors.
Shin, a two-time winner of the event in 2008 and 2012, shot a 2-under 70 with three birdies and a bogey for a 7-under 281 total and a share of third place.
It was her second top-three finish of the year after a runner-up finish at the U.S. Women’s Open last month, her first major in four years. Shin has 64 career victories, including 11 on the LPGA Tour and another 30 in Japan.
“As good as my shots were, I was disappointed that my putts didn’t fall throughout this tournament, but I think I can take solace in the fact that I played steady on this course,” said Shin, “and I’m looking forward to next year’s tournament at St. Andrews, where I’ve played once before.” Shin made her first appearance in the British Women’s Open at St. Andrews in 2007, finishing tied for 28th, and has won the tournament twice since.
Kim, who started the day in a tie for third place, one stroke off the lead, dropped two strokes with three birdies and five bogeys to finish in a tie for fourth place (6-under 282) with Yang Hee-young. Yang improved by two strokes with five birdies and three bogeys. 메이저놀이터
“I’ve been feeling good with my putts, but today was probably the worst of the four days,” Kim said, adding, “I think athletes should be able to win because their shots and putts aren’t bad and they’re steady. I will definitely try to do it next time.”
South Korean players have been absent from seven consecutive majors since Jeon won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June last year. She has just one win in 15 majors in the last three seasons.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda (USA) finished tied for 11th (2-under-par 286), No. 2 Ko Jin-young tied for 30th (1-over-par 289) and former Grand Slam contender Inji Jeon finished tied for 40th (3-over-par 291) with Kim Ah-rim.