It’s Regrettable, Ahn Shi-hyun

It was a long day of a round of 36 holes. The final winner was Annika Sorenstam (34-year-old, Sweden), but Ahn Shi-hyun (20-year-old, Kolon Elord)’s chase was an interesting event.

It was a major championship of the U.S. LPGA tour, the McDonald LPGA Championship (purse: $1.6 million dollars), held at Dupont CC (par 71), Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. on June 14.

On the day when the third and fourth rounds were played in the morning and afternoon respectively due to the rain delay, Ahn placed second, her best result of the LPGA tour since winning the CJ Nine Bridge Classic in Jeju last year. She marked a 10-under par and 274 strokes, losing by three strokes to the winner, Sorenstam (13 under par and 271 strokes)

Starting the fourth round just after finishing the third round, Sorenstam hit a 14-under par and Ahn hit a 5-under par, a difference of nine strokes. No one questioned Sorenstam’s victory.

But the situation was quickly changed when Sorenstam made continuous mistakes in the ninth hole (par 5) and made a double bogey with a 5-on green and a 2-putt. Depressed Sorenstam committed consecutive bogeys in the 10th hole (par 4) and 11th hole (par 5) to lose four strokes in those three holes. Suddenly, she fell to 10-under par.

Meanwhile, playing perfectly with no bogeys in the fourth round, Ahn birdied the 11th hole and saved the following two holes with pars to make 8-under par and reduced the lead to a two-stroke margin.

However, Sorenstam confirmed her victory with a birdie after a fantastic shot, escaping from trouble in the 16th hole. (Par 5) She achieved her seventh win in major championships as well as her second consecutive year of winning this event. She earned her fourth victory in eight tournaments in the LPGA tour this year, with a 50 percent winning percentage and exceeding the $1 million prize.

Ahn hit below par (69-70-69-66) from the first round to the fourth round in a major championship, unlike a rookie, to prove herself as a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year. Playing 36 holes for the first time in her career, Ahn remarked, “My mind was only focused on chasing Sorenstam through the tournament. I missed the championship, to my regret.” Except Ahn, Nabisco Champion, Park Ji-eun (Nikegolf) placed third (8-under par and 276 strokes), Park Hee-jeong (CJ) placed co-fourth (6-under par and 278 strokes), Kim Cho-rong (tied at sixth), and Kang Soo-yeon (Astra, tied at eight) also finished in the “Top Ten.” Pak Se-ri placed 17th. (Even par, 284 strokes)

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com