Jutanugarn survives collapses and wins US Women’s Open

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:27 p.m. ET

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Ariya Jutanugarn lost a seven-shot lead on the back nine, stayed alive with a par in the two-hole playoff and saved par with a bunker shot to win on the fourth playoff hole and capture the U.S. Women's Open on Sunday at Shoal Creek.

Jutanugarn appeared to have her second major sewn up when she shot 32 on the front nine to stretch her lead to seven shots. But the 22-year-old Thai began the back nine with a triple bogey, and then closed with back-to-back bogeys for a 1-over 73.

That put her in a two-hole playoff with Hyo-Joo Kim, who shot 5-under 67.

This is the first time the USGA has gone to a two-hole aggregate playoff, and Kim quickly took command by rolling in a long birdie putt on the 14th hole. Returning to the 18th, Jutanugarn went over the green while Kim found a bunker. Kim blasted out to 12 feet and failed to save par - her only bogey Sunday - and Jutanugarn chipped about 5 feet by the hole and made par to send the playoff to sudden death.

After they made pars on the 14th hole, both hit into the bunker on the par-4 closing hole at Shoal Creek. Kim hit out of bunker to about 12 feet, and Jutanugarn's shot rolled at the hole before turning away and settling a foot away. Kim made another bogey, and the Thai tapped in for the win.

They finished regulation at 11-under 277.

Jutanugarn now has two majors, having won the Women's British Open two years ago.

Carlota Ciganda of Spain had her best finish in a major, closing with a 69 to finish alone in third, four shots out of the playoff. Women's PGA champion Danielle Kang was the low American with a 69 to finish fourth.

Sarah Jane Smith of Australia, who started the final round four shots behind Jutanugarn, shot a 78 and tied for fifth.

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PGA TOUR

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) - Bryson DeChambeau finally got it right on his third try at the 18th hole and won the Memorial in a playoff on Sunday.

DeChambeau three-putted for bogey on the 18th for a 1-under 71 to get into a three-way playoff at Muirfield Village. He missed the green from the fairway on the 18th on the first extra hole and had to scramble for par. On his third try, he hit his approach to 12 feet behind the hole and made it for birdie to beat Byeong Hun An and win for the second time on the PGA Tour.

Kyle Stanley ran off four straight birdies toward the end of his round until his final tee shot caromed off a tree and across the fairway into deep rough. He made bogey for a 70 and still got into a playoff, but he was eliminated on the first extra hole when his approach from deep rough squirted out some 30 yards and led to bogey. An, going for his first PGA Tour win, closed with a 69.

Tiger Woods was never a serious factor. Starting five shots behind, Woods pulled to within three shots with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifth hole. But his chances effectively ended when he missed a 3-foot par putt on No. 10, and he put his tee shot into a backyard for the second time this week. He closed with a 72 and ended one of his best ball-striking weeks in a six-way tie for 23rd.

Woods was second-to-last in the key putting statistic among the 73 players who went all four rounds.

Patrick Cantlay also had a chance on Sunday, leading by two shots going to the back nine. But he didn't make a birdie over his last 10 holes, and he fell back when he went bunker-to-bunker on the 17th and made bogey to fall two strokes behind. He shot 71.

Joaquin Niemann, the 19-year-old from Chile, birdied the 18th hole to tie for sixth. That was enough for him to earn special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, meaning he can get unlimited sponsor exemptions.

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EUROPEAN TOUR

BRESCIA, Italy (AP) - Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark made a 10-foot putt on the final hole to close with a 7-under 64 and win the Italian Open on Sunday by one shot over home favorite Francesco Molinari.

When Olesen stepped up to the tee at the par-4 18th at Gardagolf Country Club, he held a two-stroke lead over Molinari.

But ahead on the green, Molinari sunk a 30-foot putt for birdie and a 65 to slice the lead and prompt roars from the crowd. Olesen hit his second shot into a greenside bunker after driving into the rough. But he blasted out to 10 feet, held his nerve and made the putt.

''I never had that final putt to win. That's why this one feels so amazing,'' Olesen said.

Molinari, the 2006 Italian Open winner, was coming off the biggest victory of his career at the BMW PGA Championship last weekend. A bogey on the 17th - only Molinari's second of the entire tournament - ended up being decisive.

''I don't think I could have done more,'' Molinari said. ''I'm very satisfied with what I did. Compliments to Olesen. He played great today and yesterday and he deserved this victory. I can't complain. I was aggressive until the end.''

Lee Slattery shot 67 and finished third.

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WEB.COM TOUR

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Joey Garber made two late birdies and closed with a 5-under 66 to win the Rex Hospital Open for his first Web.com Tour victory.

Garber, who played golf at Georgia, started the final round at the TPC Wakefield three shots behind Michael Johnson, who ran into trouble on the front nine and closed out that side with a double bogey.

Garber birdied the 15th and 16th hole to seize control, and he finished one shot ahead of Scott Langley (66) and Hank Lebioda (66). Johnson rallied with a pair of late birdies, but all that did was give him a 71 to tie for fourth with Brian Campbell (66).

Garber finished at 266 and earned $117,000, moving him to No. 6 on the Web.com Tour money list. The top 25 after the regular season earn PGA Tour cards.

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OTHER TOURS

MEN

Colin Montgomerie won on the Staysure Tour by closing with a 67 for a three-shot victory over Paul Eales and Barry Lane in the Shipco Masters in Demark. It was his ninth career win on the European senior circuit. Laura Davies shot 75 and finished 19 shots behind, one shot ahead of Jose Maria Olazabal. ... Marcel Schneider of Germany finished off a wire-to-wire victory with a 67 to win the Swiss Challenbe by six shots on the European Challenge Tour. ... Jordan Niebrugge closed with a 72 for a two-shot victory over Cody Blick and Zach Wright in the Freedom 55 Financial Open on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada. ... Horacio Leon closed with a 67 and won the Quito Open by one shot over Blair Hamilton on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. ... Kodai Ichihara closed with a 5-under 66 and overcame a five-shot deficit to win his first Japan Golf Tour title at the JGT Championship Mori Building Cup. He finished one shot ahead of Ryuko Tokimatsu. ... Dongseop Maeng birdied the last two holes for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot victory in the KB Financial Championship on the Korean PGA Tour.

WOMEN

Astrid Vayson de Pradenne of France closed with a 67 and made birdie on the first playoff hole to beat Karolin Lampert of Germany and win the Jabra Ladies Open at Evian Resort. The victory gave Vayson de Pradenne full status on the Ladies European Tour and an exemption into the Women's British Open and the Evian Championship this summer. ... Jeong-min Cho shot 66 in the final round for a six-shot victory in the Lotte Cantata Ladies Open on the Korean LPGA Tour. ... Shiho Oyama closed with a 4-under 68 for a four-shot victory over Matsumoto Masaru in the Yonex Ladies Golf Tournament on the Japan LPGA Tour.