Hae Ran Ryu of South Korea. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Korean Hae Ran Ryu became the fifth rookie to win on the 2023 LPGA Tour with an impressive wire-to-wire victory at the USD2.3 million Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.
The 22-year-old from Suwon carded round of 64, 64 and 66 at the par-71 Pinnacle Country Club for a 19-under-par total and a three-shot victory over Sweden’s Linnea Strom on Sunday. Ryu had previously chalked up five top-10 finishes in 19 starts this season.
“To be honest, I had some doubts whether I can win this year, but I trusted in my shots and kept playing, and I think that led to a good result,” said Ryu, who has won five times on the Korea LPGA Tour.
Ryu had to endure some anxious moments during the final round as players with early tee times began to move up the leaderboard. Following a nervy front nine with one birdie and two bogeys, she moved up a gear and played her last nine holes in six-under-par with four birdies and an eagle at the par-five 14th.
Strom also eagled the 14th hole and sank five birdies en route to a closing 64, but it was not good enough to prevent Ryu from become the first rookie to win wire-to-wire since Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit at the 2021 Chevron Championship.
Ryu noted that adjusting to life on the LPGA Tour has not been easy.
“Honestly, I thought I would cry after the win. Adjusting to life in the States wasn’t easy. I had five top-10s this year and I think, especially towards the back nine of the final round, I wasn’t able to get it done,” she shared.
“Today, on the front nine I was hitting a lot of weird shots, but I saw the leaderboard and I thought I would really be devastated and disappointed in myself if I lose it again. So, I just told myself on the back nine that I can do it and I did,” added Ryu, who is the LPGA Tour’s 11th Rolex First-Time Winner this season.
Four players finished in a tie for third place on 15-under-par, including Japanese rookie Yuna Nishimura who recorded the first top-10 finish of her career, and Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines who carded two eagles and five birdies en route to a closing 64 and her second top-10 of the season.
Defending champion Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand settled for T48 on six-under-par following rounds of 68, 71 and 68.
Malaysia’s Kelly Tan narrowly missed the 36-hole cut despite a superb opening round of six-under-par 65. Her second round 75 placed her just one shot below the cutline of three-under-par.
Golf fans can witness Ryu and the stars of the LPGA Tour in action this October 26-29 during the Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. The US$3 million tournament will also feature six Malaysians in Maybank’s ASEAN Ambassador Tan, the country’s current top professional Natasha Andrea Oon and her fellow Epson Tour players Ashley Lau and Alyaa Abdulghany, along with amateur talents Jeneath Wong and Ng Jing Xuen.
| Results (Top 5 and ties) | ||
| 194 (-19) | Hae Ran Ryu (KOR) | 64-64-66 |
| 197 (-16) | Linnea Strom (SWE) | 66-67-64 |
| 198 (-15) | Bianca Pagdanganan (PHI) | 69-65-64 |
| Sei Young Kim (KOR) | 69-63-66 | |
| Jenny Shin (KOR) | 65-66-67 | |
| Yuna Nishimura (JPN) | 66-64-68 | |
