Chun perseveres, holds off Thompson to win Women’s PGA Championship

Gee Chun rallied, despite losing her remaining lead. She overcame a bogey-filled front 9 to win the Women’s PGA Championship. Lexi Thompson was unable to putter and lost the lead.

Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls (Ont.) was the top Canadian and finished tied for 16th.

Chun shot a 3-over 76 for the second consecutive day at Congressional. But that was enough to win by one stroke over Thompson, Minjee Lee and her third major title. After leading by six at the tournament’s halfway point, Chun lost three shots in the final round.

The 27-year old Floridian made a par putt on No. 14; however, a birdie on No. 15 brought her back to two. Then, she bogeyed 16th hole par-5 while Chun made birdie.

Thompson was three-putted for Bogey on 17 and after a great approach from the rough on 18 her birdie putt didn’t go far enough.

Chun pushes past Thompson for Women’s PGA title:| Chun pushes past Thompson for Women’s PGA title:

Chun’s approach on the par-4 18th bounced past the hole and just off the back of the green, but she putted to within about five feet and sank her par attempt for the win.

After finishing her 8-under 64 in rainy conditions on Thursday, Chun, a 27 year-old South Korean, was leading by seven strokes. The lead was down to five at the end of that day — still equalling the largest 18-hole advantage in the history of women’s majors.

She was six strokes ahead of her at the halfway point, and had a three-shot lead going into Sunday. She finished at 5-under 283

Chun won her first major at 2015’s U.S. Women’s Open and then added the Evian Championship to France the next year.

Thompson has not won an LPGA Tour event since 2019. Her only major victory was as a teenager in Mission Hills, California desert in 2014. She’s had many chances. During the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open at Olympic Club last year, she lost a lead of five strokes.

After the first round, she was 10 strokes behind before slowly chasing Chun down. Thompson made birdies at Nos. 1, 3 and 4 on Sunday. Chun bogeyed Nos. 2 and 4 to be taken out of the lead.

Thompson missed short birdie putts on the eighth and ninth — foreshadowing her problems later in the round — but Chun’s 40 on the front nine left her two back at the turn. Sei Young Kim, who had made it to six under at one point, bogeyed eight, 10, 11 and 12 and wasn’t a factor after that.

When Chun made her first birdie of the day at the par-5 11th, Thompson answered with a birdie of her own to remain two shots ahead at seven under. Chun also bogeyed 12 when Thompson did the same.

Lee, who was trailing by six at the beginning of the day, just missed an 18-foot putt on 16, which could have tied her for first place. After Thompson birdied 15, Lee bogeyed 17 and Thompson birdied 15, the Australian was three back.

Lee had a great approach on the last hole that gave her a short birdie putt. However, after making that for a 70-round total, Thompson needed to drop two strokes.

It was true, but Lee’s birdie at the 18th and two pars at the last three holes were enough for Lee to win.

Henderson managed a 76 to finish at 1-over-289 overall. Maude-Aimee Leblanc, 80, of Sherbrooke (Que.), was well back at 20.