23-year-old South Korean Jeongeun Lee6 won the US Women's Open with a score of 70 (-1) on Sunday, despite some hesitation after taking a three-stroke lead to fend off assaults from Celine Boutier, co -leader of the third round.

US Women's Open: Jeongeun Lee6 wins, Céline Boutier 5th

Céline Boutier - Photo: DR - Source: ffgolf

Lee6 led by three points after a birdie on the par-5 of 15, bogeying on the 16th and 18th holes giving Celine Boutier an extra chance on the last two holes. But the Frenchwoman missed a long birdie putt on the 17th and took a bunker on the 18th. Her shot in the sand resulted in an exit from the green.

Lee6, playing two groups before Boutier, was practicing putts when Boutier missed his shot in the sand. Lee6 bowed for joy when her victory was assured, her compatriot and 2011 US Women's Open winner So Yeon Ryu coming to hug the new champion.

“I felt pretty nervous from holes 16, 17 and 18” after opening the big lead, said Lee6. “But I tried the best I could. "

Lee6 finished, with a score of 278 (-6) and walked away with a first major in his pocket as well as a first USGA $ 1 million check to the victorious women days after former Hank Haney coach of Tiger Woods, made derogatory remarks towards women's golf when predicting the victory of the "Koreans" saying "I would choose Lee".

Her name ended in a 6 because she was the sixth player with that name on the Korean LPGA. She kissed the number, answered it and put a capital "6" on her balls. His South Korean fan club is called “Lucky 6.” Jeongeun Lee5 also plays on the LPGA Tour.

Lee6 won days after Hanney's comments on his PGA Tour SiriusXM radio show when asked who would win. “I would choose Lee,” Haney said. “If I didn't have to give a first name, I would have quite a few. Haney was suspended for his remarks.

Boutier tried to reach the 18th in two moves. “And if I had put the putt it would have been different,” she said. "But I missed the green, so ..."

Gerina Piller, Jaye Marie Green, Mamiko Higa of Japan and Yu Liu of China and Boutier, co-leaders of the third round, tied for fifth. Piller was the only one under par 68. Higa and Liu scored 74.

Boutier and Liu, friends and ex-teammates of Duke, fought for the title. Instead, the two missed opportunities early in the game by combining three bogeys and a double bogey on the first three holes.

Thompson started the round with 1 stroke of the leader in search of a second career major title. But it also ran into bogeys early on on the first, third and fourth holes, losing pace.

Lee6 is not a surprise winner. She placed 17th in the world and won six times on the KLPGA Tour. She tied for fifth in this event on her debut in 2017 and has three top 10s on the LPGA Tour this season.

“Seeing her as a newbie playing this tournament so well, I'm very proud of her as a competitor and also as a girl from the same country,” said Ryu.

Higa faded away in the final after being a major contender at her first US Women's Open. She set the tournament record for her debut with a magnificent opening 65. It was one stroke in front for 36 holes and only one stroke behind when the final began. But she suffered five bogeys on her first 13 holes to land. She finished tied for sixth place with a score of 74.

NCAA women's individual champion Maria Fassi started her first tournament as a professional 72-73 to carve out a spot out of the number. She took off last weekend, dropping from 68 to 70 to place 12th in a group at 1 under par, including Gina Kim, the tournament's lowest amateur, who is part of the recent NCAA Duke team champion.

Two-time major champion Lydia Ko made a hole-in-one Sunday - the only one of the week - on the difficult 11th hole. She hit with a 6 iron to reach 157 yards and, moments later, heard cheering near the green, but wasn't sure why. She discovered it early enough for her second ace of her career, the other having taken place at the Rio Olympics. The 11th, whose green is well defended with two large protective bunkers on either side, was the toughest hole this week.

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