US Women's Open: A Tie for Low Amateur

Cherry Hills Village, Colo. (June 26, 2005) -– Birdie Kim won the 60th U.S. Women’s Open at Cherry Hills Country Club Sunday after carding a 1-over-par 72 for an aggregate 3-over par 287. She outlasted Morgan Pressel and Brittany Lang, who registered 5-over par 289s. The last time a winner was crowned over par in the Women’s Open occurred in 1998 at Blackwolf Golf Club, where Se Ri Pak finished 6 over. Third round co-leaders Karen Stupples and Michelle Wie fell off the leaderboard early, Wie when she double bogeyed the first hole. (her final round 82 was one of her highest in LPGA or USGA competition) A model of consistency, Kim birdied No. 7 to break a stalemate at 3 over. When her second shot found the right hand bunker at No. 18, she was forced to do the difficult (get up and down) and she did the impossible, by holing the shot to finish at 3-under-par. She seemed as shocked as the crowd and commentators. The most shocked of all, was Morgan Pressel, who played spectacular, spirited golf down the stretch and was standing in the fairway tied with Kim at 4-over-par in full view of the action in front of her. Pressel made bogey, and while we will never know if she could have made 4 if Kim hadn't of holed the shot, we can say for certain that the career ahead of the Nation's No. 1 ranked amateur and junior is bright indeed. Click on the tournament link at the top of this page for links to full results, and more.