Amy Olson Retires
April 25, 2024
By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
CHASKA, Minn. – Last week, Australian Hannah Green posted a second-round 76 to miss the cut at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give by two shots. Entering this week's KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club ranked No. 114 in the Women’s World Golf Ranking, Green carried the first 54-hole lead of her career and held off defending champion Sung Hyun Park Sunday to earn her first LPGA Tour victory in a major way.
With a four-shot lead at one point during Sunday’s final round, Green carded three bogeys during a four-hole span, watching her lead dwindle to one before sinking a late birdie at 16 and a critical sand save on the final hole to become the third player to win the season’s second major outright wire-to-wire.
“That was the most nervous I was all day and the second shot into the hole. I just didn’t want to miss the putt. I mean, when do you ever want to miss a putt?” Green said of her dramatic finish Sunday. “I’m pretty much speechless. I was really nervous the last five holes and just really—I made a clutch putt and that was kind of what got me through another one. To make the one on the last is really surreal.
“I knew I needed par on 18, but I think the birdie on 16 was huge just to give me that gap coming down 18. I knew 18 was a tough pin position but I know the girls are a lot longer than me and have shorter clubs in, they could actually go for it. I had to just try and play it up the green on the right. I just can’t believe I’m here right now.”
The 22-year-old Aussie, who won three events on the Symetra Tour in 2017, now moves from 62nd to 17th in the Race to the CME Globe. In 12 events played this season, Green has made nine cuts and collected over $694,000 for the season. Her first victory Sunday earned her a paycheck of $577,500, moving her career earnings to $938,477 in 36 starts on the LPGA Tour. Her previous best at a major championship was a tie for 16th at the ANA Inspiration last season.
Entering the final round Sunday with a one-stroke lead over a surging Ariya Jutanugarn, Green was in control early, sinking a 15-footer for birdie at the second to increase her lead. Sticking her approach inside of eight feet at the seventh, Green again rolled in birdie but would start to slip following a three-putt bogey at the ninth, her second of the week.
With Jutanugarn struggling Sunday, it was Park and Korda looking to challenge Green, who took back-to-back bogeys at the 11th and 12th holes to fall back to 8-under for the championship and one shot ahead of the field.
Green’s birdie putt from 12 feet at the 16th found the bottom of the cup, widening her margin slightly before Park rolled in a short birdie at the 16th to pull within one.
Needing par on the final hole, Green’s approach found the bunker left of the 18th green. She blasted out four feet past the hole and sank her par putt to clinch her first LPGA Tour victory.
“That was really nice for it to go in and yeah, for it to actually go in the middle of the hole and good pace, I was really happy about that because I felt like I was striking it well all day and maybe didn’t make as many putts as I would have liked,” Green said. “I’ve always wanted to win an event and to win a major championship as my first event is crazy.
“I wasn’t really feeling as confident at the start of the week with my swing, especially with the results last week.”
Green has been staying in good company this week at Hazeltine, sharing a house with fellow Aussie and winner of seven major championships on the LPGA Tour, Karrie Webb, who’s had a calming presence on Green.
“When I first turned pro and played on Symetra, I was fortunate enough to win three times. The first win I had was early in the season. [Webb] was the first person that texted me to say congratulations. Still, to have some one text you and say congratulations—is pretty cool,” said Green who was a former two-time Karrie Webb Scholarship winner.
“It’s nice to be thought of and she wasn’t to help me and hang out for the week,” said Green, a two-time winner of the Karrie Webb Scholarship, a program that offers more than a dozen tournaments each year in Australia, earning points based on their performance.
The top two players each win $10,000 to cover travel expenses and the opportunity to travel to the United States and watch Webb compete in a major championship. Since 2018, that major championship has been the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“All of us feel that we can reach out and message or call her whenever we need help.”
Webb, who missed the cut by one stroke this week, followed Green during the final round Sunday and was all smiles afterwards.
“I caught myself a few times getting ahead of myself for Hannah and amazing how she was handling herself out there,” said Webb, the 2005 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee and owner of 41 victories on the LPGA Tour. “Thinking about how much winning this event would change her life, and I start choking up how proud I was of her.
“I’ve seen this for years. Years ago, I watched her at the [U.S. Women’s Amateur] in Portland and I could just tell the way she carries herself on the golf course and how she is mentally that she is made to win tournaments on the LPGA, made to win majors. That’s world-class the way she closed out that tournament.”
England’s Mel Reid fired a final-round 66 Sunday to jump 20 spots on the leaderboard to finish tied for third with Korda at 6-under 282, while Japan’s Nasa Hataoka fired a tournament-low 65 on Sunday, jumping 40 spots to finish inside the top-15 at 2-under 286.
Shooting a 6-over par 78 to begin the championship Thursday, Minnesotan Sarah Burnham bounced back by firing a 1-under 71 to make the cut on the number Friday.
Burnham, a former standout at Wayzata High School before winning three collegiate events while at Michigan State University, carded a 76 Saturday before finishing her second career start in a major with a round of 78 Sunday. Burnham qualified for the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pa.
“It’s on to the next week for another event so quick turnaround and I’ll look back on this a long time as I get older. It was so cool—something I’ll never forget. I’ve never experienced so many fans and support out there. It’s really ‘thank you’ to all the Minnesotans out there.’
“I didn’t play my best game out there, I know that. I know I can compete with the best in the world and if my game is on one week, you know, I could be up on the leaderboard.”
2019 KPMG WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
HAZELTINE NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
CHASKA, MINN.
6,657 YARDS, PAR 72
SUNDAY’S FINAL RESULTS
1. Hannah Green, 68-69-70-72—279
2. Sung Hyun Park, 70-71-71-68—280
T3. Nelly Korda, 72-70-69-71—282
T3. Mel Reid, 69-76-71-66—282
T5. Danielle Kang, 75-70-68-70—283
T5. Lizette Salas, 72-71-68-72—283
T7. Mirim Lee, 71-74-70-69—284
T7. Hyo Joo Kim, 69-74-71-70—284
T7. Inbee Park, 72-73-68-71—284
T10. Ariya Jutanugarn, 70-70-68-77—285
T10. Nasa Hataoka, 76-72-73-65—285
T10. Megan Khang, 74-72-69-70—285
T10. Lydia Ko, 71-70-76-68—285
T78. SARAH BURNHAM, MAPLE GROVE, MINN., 78-71-76-78—303
For complete tournament results go to: www.lpga.com/tournaments/kpmgwomenspgachampionship/leaderboard
April 25, 2024
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