In a remarkable turnaround, Haeran Ryu emerged victorious at the FM Championship held at TPC Boston, despite a difficult third round marred by heavy rain.
Entering the final round four strokes behind Jin Young Ko, Ryu showcased her resilience by delivering an impressive 8-under 64 to level the score at 15-under 273, ultimately triumphing over her fellow South Korean in a playoff.
Under fading light conditions, Ryu displayed nerves of steel as she expertly played her 120-yard third shot, landing it just 12 feet away from the pin on the par-5 18th hole. In contrast, Ko’s 111-yard approach shot sailed over the green, forcing her to chip back onto the green from about 30 feet away. After Ko’s unfortunate bogey, Ryu confidently lagged her birdie putt to within a foot, securing her second LPGA Tour victory.
“I was so nervous during the playoff, but maybe Jin Young Ko felt the same way as me,” Ryu confessed. “I believe I owe this win to God. I still can’t believe I’m here now.”
Ryu had initially established her dominance with a career-best 62 on Friday, amassing a six-stroke lead heading into the weekend. However, a setback on Saturday, with a disappointing score of 78, put her victory at risk.
“My caddie and teammates encouraged me by saying, ‘Today was tough, but tomorrow everything will fall into place. Just trust yourself'”, Ryu recalled.
On Sunday, the young golfer made a blazing start by birdying the first four holes and six of the first eight. She continued her impressive form, adding further birdies on holes 10, 12, and 15. Despite a slight stumble on the par-3 16th that cost her a stroke, Ryu composed herself after a rain delay of over two hours and closed out the final two holes with pars.
Ko, a former world number one who hasn’t clinched an LPGA Tour victory since May 2023, had a chance to secure victory in regulation play but missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 18th. She finished the round with a score of 68.
“I played really, really well this week. Unfortunately, that last shot wasn’t good enough, and I lost. But overall, I played solid golf, and congratulations to Hae Ran,” Ko graciously acknowledged.
Ko’s strong start featured a remarkable series of eagles on holes 2 and 4, propelling her to 4-under after the first four holes. However, her game leveled out for the rest of the round, as she concluded with a series of four consecutive pars.
Ryu’s victory earned her a substantial $570,000 from the total purse of $3.8 million in the tournament. The impressive win adds to her previous victory at the NW Arkansas Championship last year as an LPGA Tour rookie. She has also secured a total of five victories on the Korean tour.
“I’m really happy because the first win is always the hardest, but the second victory is just as challenging,” Ryu expressed her joy at the accomplishment.
China’s Ruixin Liu finished just one stroke behind Ryu after achieving back-to-back 64s, which marked the lowest scores of her LPGA Tour career. Liu’s impressive rally came after a quadruple bogey on the opening hole of the competition, making her dramatic turnaround even more exceptional.
“I can’t believe it’s true. Starting with a 9 on the first hole, I didn’t think I would even make the cut. So, I’m extremely grateful to have had a tee time on Saturday, and to achieve the best score of my career twice in a row is simply amazing,” Liu humbly stated.
Allisen Corpuz and AJeeno Thitikul both carded a solid 67 to tie for fourth place at 13-under. Jennifer Kupcho (65) finished 11-under, alongside Celine Borge (63), Ariya Jutanugarn (65), and Arpichaya Yubol (66).
Corpuz and Kupcho emerged as the top U.S. finishers in this tournament, providing a positive boost heading into the upcoming Solheim Cup matches against Europe on September 13-15 in Virginia.
“The most significant aspect is seeing some putts drop and making progress in that area. This will be crucial during the clutch putts at Solheim, especially during match play, where having that momentum will be beneficial,” Kupcho emphasized.
The organizers and the LPGA Tour announced the return of the first-year tournament to TPC Boston next year, confirming its continued presence in the professional golfing circuit.