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The championship had to be completed on Monday due to nearly three-quarters of an inch of rain that saturated the Cypress Creek Course on Sunday. Only twice before had a non-playoff round of the U.S. Women’s Open been completed on a Monday: 1987 at Plainfield Country Club, where a Tuesday 18-hole playoff was required, and 2011 at The Broadmoor, where another Korean, So Yeon Ryu, prevailed in a three-hole aggregate playoff over compatriot Hee Kyung Seo.

With temperatures hovering in the 40s and a wind chill that felt like the mid-30s, players arrived at Champions Golf Club dressed more for a day on the ski slopes. Many competitors donned wool caps, wore earmuffs and used gloves to keep their hands warm. Some even put on parkas in between shots.

Kim covered her face with a mask all week to protect herself and others from COVID-19, the virus that forced the U.S. Women’s Open to be moved from June to December and kept fans from enjoying the competition in person.

Starting the round five strokes behind Shibuno in a tie for ninth, Kim played most of the final round in relative anonymity. The television broadcast mostly focused on the trio of Shibuno, the affable 22-year-old from Japan nicknamed the “Smiling Cinderella” after shocking the golf world 16 months ago with her AIG Women’s British Open victory at Woburn Golf Club in England; 2009 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Olson, who was looking for her first professional win; and Moriya Jutanugarn, the 26-year-old from Thailand who was seeking to join younger sister Ariya as a U.S. Women’s Open champion.

Shibuno was the first to blink, relinquishing her lead to Olson when she bogeyed the par-4 10th hole.

Olson appeared ready to take the title. Playing with a heavy heart, the Fargo, N.D., native found out late Saturday night that her father-in-law, Lee Olson, had suddenly passed away. Her husband, Grant, an assistant football coach at her alma mater, North Dakota State, was en route to Texas to watch Amy when the couple received the news. Olson played through the wrenching circumstances, keeping calm throughout the round.

But she couldn’t convert birdie opportunities to build on what was at one point a two-stroke lead. A bogey caused by overshooting the green with her hybrid tee shot on the par-3 16th effectively ended her title holes. Olson and Shibuno both converted birdie putts on the 72nd hole, the former to get within one of Kim and the latter to finish two back.

“Obviously super mixed emotions,” said Olson, who was vying to become the seventh player in history to add the U.S. Women’s Open to her U.S. Girls’ Junior title. “It was a long day yesterday not being able to play, but I did get some good rest. Coming out this morning I had no idea what to expect. It was just one of those things I felt very weak and helpless the last couple days, and probably same way today on the golf course. I really believe the Lord just carried me through. It just makes you realize how much bigger life is than golf.”

Jutanugarn struggled most of the day, shooting a 3-over 74 to share sixth.

Kim stood at even par for the championship when she arrived at the 178-yard 16th hole. She proceeded to execute three of the most beautiful iron shots that this championship has witnessed in a closing stretch. Her 5-iron tee shot on 16 stopped 4 feet from the hole. On the 393-yard, par-4 17th, her 8-iron approach stopped 18 inches from the flagstick and on the 381-yard closing hole, she knocked her 48-degree wedge from the fairway to 7 feet.

When the final birdie putt dropped, an emotional Kim pumped her fist, almost assured that her closing stretch sealed the victory. She is the last player to birdie the final hole to win the U.S. Women’s Open since Eun-Hee Ji of Korea in 2009 at Saucon Valley Country Club.

“It took some time for me to get used to the bermudagrass, especially hitting the irons off the grass,” said Kim through a translator. “You really need some kind of skill, different style of swing in order to hit the ball out of [this grass]. But love this golf course, love this environment. I even said earlier I want to actually put a tent up here and stay a few more days.”

Now she will return to golf-crazy Korea with the beautiful silver trophy, a larger bank account and the latest golf celebrity, mask or no mask.

What Champion Receives

• Custody of the Harton S. Semple Trophy until the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open in June (winner receives a permanent replica)
• The gold Mickey Wright Medal
• Exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Women’s Opens
• ·Exemptions into the other four women’s major championships for the next five years: ANA Inspiration; KPMG Women’s PGA Championship; AIG Women’s British Open; The Evian Championship
• A two-year exemption on the LPGA Tour as a non-member
• $1 million first-place check

Notable

• The top 10 scorers and ties earned an exemption into the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif., June 3-6.
  
  
• Kim’s strokes gained of 7.43 was the second-best in a final round by a U.S. Women’s Open champion. Meg Mallon, who shot a 65 to win the 2004 title, owns the best mark of 7.88.
  
  
• Kim is the third Korean to win a women’s major championship in 2020, joining Mirim Lee (Ana Inspiration) and Sei Young Kim (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship). All four major champions – The Evian Championship was not conducted – in 2020 were first-time winners. Sophia Popov, of Germany, kicked off the year by taking the Women’s British Open as the No. 304-ranked player in the world.
  
  
• Jeongeun Lee6 concluded her title defense on Monday with an even-par 71 to finish tied for sixth. It’s the best result by a defending champion since Juli Inkster finished eighth in 2003 at Pumpkin Ridge.
  
  
• A closing birdie gave University of Texas All-American Kaitlyn Papp low-amateur honors by two strokes over 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Gabriela Ruffels and Maja Stark, of Sweden. Papp started the day tied for fifth, four strokes off the lead. She closed with a 3-over 74 to finish tied for ninth and an exemption into the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club next June.
  
  
• Two-time champion Inbee Park (2008, 2013) recorded her 24th sub-par round in a U.S. Women’s Open with a 3-under 68, matching the all-time record held by Beth Daniel and Betsy King. Park achieved it in just 14 starts. It took King 26 (she played in 31) and Daniel 28 (29 starts overall) to post those numbers. Park went from a share of 33rd to a tie for sixth.
  
  
• Eri Okayama’s outward nine included five birdies, three bogeys and a par. The five birdies were the most recorded on any nine on the Cypress Creek Course the entire championship.
  
  
• The tie for sixth by Moriya Jutanugarn and T-9 by Ariya Jutanugarn was believed to be the best finish by a tandem of sisters in the same U.S. Women’s Open since Alice Bauer and Marlene Bauer Hagge tied for sixth in the 1957 championship.
  

Quotable

“I got a lot of text messages from my family and friends how well I played. They were cheering for me overseas. I actually came to winter training [in Palm Springs, Calif.] four years ago. That was my first time in the U.S., and this is the second time, and first time playing in an overseas tournament.” – A Lim Kim after winning in her first competitive event in the U.S.

“Every time I practice I usually wear a mask, so I'm kind of used to it. I don't want to affect other people, players, a caddie that's playing within the group, so that's the reason I wear the mask throughout the round.” – Kim on wearing a mask all week

“I really miss Korean food right now, so I'll probably have good Korean food with my family.” – Kim on how she plans on celebrating during her mandatory 14-day quarantine upon returning to Korea

“We had a really special relationship. He's a big, tough, military West Point guy, loved the Army, but had a particular soft spot for the women in his life, particularly his wife and daughter-in-law. And just incredibly generous. Loved to hunt and fish, and we'll have a lot of great memories to take from those activities with him.” – Amy Olson on the passing of her father-in-law on Saturday night

“This week is my best finish at the U.S. Open, so I can play next week as well. I'm really thankful. This season is too tough with coronavirus, so I want to say thanks to USGA and all the volunteers.” – world No. 1 Jin Young Ko after finishing tied for second and earning a spot in next week’s season-ending LPGA Tour event in Naples, Fla.

“I'm really honored. This year the group of ams in the field was really strong, and so to be low amateur in that group really means a lot.” – Kaitlyn Papp after tying for ninth and besting the six amateurs who made the 36-hole cut

“I played just over 12 holes today and it was definitely a little different condition. It was colder, balls were going a lot shorter and it was tough out there. But I'm just really happy that I was able to finally conquer this golf course.” – two-time champion Inbee Park on shooting a 3-under 68

“We had a [LPGA] tournament at Lake Merced and I know someone who's a member at [The] Olympic Club, and he offered to take us out there. I was like, no, I want to go there when the Open is there. I always tell him I'm holding off for the Open there, so I'm super ecstatic. [I look] forward to any USGA event.” – Megan Khang, who finished fifth to earn an exemption into the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open  

“I guess I was pretty in the moment, I didn't even realize I had six birdies.” – 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Gabriela Ruffels after shooting a1-under 70 to finish T-13.

“It's been great. I have never played a major before, so I'm really happy that I got the chance. I'd been kind of doubting myself because I've never played against these players with this capacity, so I was really happy about it.” – amateur Maja Stark after tying for 13th

David Shefter is a senior staff writer with the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.

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