US Women & # 039; s Open: A Lim Kim wins US debut

HOUSTON – A Lim Kim ran into trouble after flying the last three holes for a three-under-67 that catapulted her to victory in the 75th on Monday United States Women & # 39; s Open.

While Kim sat in front of a large-screen TV in the dining room of the Champions Club players watching the competitors likely to make it to the finish line, she fumbled with her phone, which vibrated with messages from family members and friends at home in South Korea who had stayed up all night to look her around.

The phone fell to the bottom of her golf bag and Kim removed all of her clubs to pick it up as, one after the other, her challengers fell by the wayside.

Hinako Shibuno from Japan, the 54-hole leader, couldn't catch Kim. Shibuno had had a one-hit lead after Sunday's last round was delayed due to bad weather, but he drove through the penultimate hole on Monday, finishing fourth on one under with a closing 74.

Kim & # 39; s fellow countrymen, Inbee Park and Jin Young Ko, the number 1 woman in the world, both took the second lowest score of the day, a 68. Ko, including birdies on two of the last three holes, to take a shot. shortly ahead of Kim at two-under 282.

American Amy Olson, who took the solo lead at the back nine in her bid for her first LPGA win and big win, shared second with Ko. Her hopes for the title were dashed with a bogey on the par-3 16th, the same hole she had hit in the first round.

Olson, 28, plays after her father-in-law's sudden death on Saturday night. from a heart attack, ended with a birdie for a one-over 72. Olson sang bars from Josh Groban's song, "You Raise Me Up" to mask her grief.

Kim, 25, meanwhile, gave a perhaps fitting portrait of a champion of a tournament that was delayed six months due to the coronavirus pandemic. She won by wearing a face cover on and off the golf course, establishing herself as the class of a field in which only four players par.

"I'm okay to get positive tests for Covid-19, Kim said through an interpreter, "but I don't want to influence other people – players, a caddy playing within the group – so that's why I wear the mask all round."

Because it lasted so late in the year that the US Women's Open had the rare opportunity to show its players in America without sharing the stage with a 72-hole PGA Tour event or other US events on a schedule that is usually packed during the normal late spring date.

The United States Golf Association embraced the hashtag, #WomenWorthWatching, and a few players from the PGA Tour followed, much to the surprise of the current generation of Asian LPGA stars who have never missed attention at home. Monday's final round was broadcast live in South Korea in the middle of the night, says a lot about the popularity of women's golf in a country where the best female golfers are more popular than the men who play on the PGA Tour.

"Yes, in Korea we certainly get a lot of attention and maybe we don't need that phrase," said Park, 32, a former World No. 1 champion whose final round 68 put her in a three-player tie. sixth out of two-over 286.

Park, which has 20 LPGA's titles, including seven majors, said she is recognized walking the streets of South Korea or the operator during the driving pays at a toll booth.

In Thailand, Moriya Jutanugarn, 26, and her younger sister Ariya also attract attention. as Ariya was the subject of a biopic that also featured Moriya last year. On Monday, Moriya finished with a 74 and finished in joint sixth place, one strike ahead of Ariya, a former World No. 1 champion.

In Japan, Shibuno saw her life change rapidly after she won the Women & # 39; s British Open. in her first professional tournament outside of her home country. "I went from being a normal person to a celebrity overnight," Shibuno said through an interpreter.

She added, "Once I became a celebrity, and celebrity status, it makes it hard to be myself."

This was Kim & # 39; s US debut, and with the win, she becomes the last in a long line of Korean players to take women's golf by storm. Since turning pro as a teenager in 2013, Kim has won twice on her home tour and is known for her height.

Kim, who is not a member of the L.P.G.A., made $ 1 million for the win. She's also eligible for a two-year tour membership, but said she's not sure she'll be joining in 2021. The decision would likely require several major disruptions in her life.

"I just need a little more time. To think about it," said Kim.

Wave seemed like the easy part for Kim, who took a few deep breaths during her press conference to calm down. "Once I go home," she said, "I'll think about it and see."