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Jutanugarn wins US Women’s Open on fourth playoff hole

Ariya Jutanugarn, of Thailand, tees off on the second hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at Shoal Creek, Sunday, June 3, 2018, in Birmingham, Ala. (Butch Dill / Associated Press)
Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ariya Jutanugarn had a huge lead, completely lost it and then prevailed on the fourth hole of a playoff to win a dramatic U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday at Shoal Creek.

Jutanugarn, a 22-year-old from Thailand, made a clutch bunker shot to within a foot of the hole to save par, beating South Korea’s Hyo-Joo Kim, who shot a 5-under 67 in the final round to force the playoff.

Jutanugarn started the day with a four-shot lead over Australia’s Sarah Jane Smith and looked like she might win easily after opening with a 4-under on the front nine to stretch her lead to seven shots.

But a triple bogey on No. 10 cut the lead to four and seemed to shake her confidence. She still had a two-shot lead with two holes remaining, but closed with back-to-back bogeys to fall into a playoff after shooting 73.