Chun In-gee wins third major at KPMG Women's PGA Championship

Chun In-gee pulled off a wire-to-wire victory at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland on Sunday, marking her fourth career victory and first win in four years.

Chun In-gee poses with the trophy after winning the KPMG Women's PGA Championship golf tournament at Congressional Country Club on Sunday in Bethesda, Maryland. [AP/YONHAP]

Chun In-gee celebrates with caddie Dean Herden after winning on the 18th green during the final round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club on Sunday in Bethesda, Maryland. [AFP/YONHAP]

Chun In-gee pulled off a wire-to-wire victory at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland on Sunday, marking her fourth career victory and first win in four years.

Chun carded an overall five-under-par, 283, to clinch the trophy, one stroke over Minjee Lee of Australia and Lexi Thompson of the United States, who tied for second.

On Thursday, Chun put on a spectacular performance in the first round, putting herself five strokes ahead of the runner-up. After bogeying the first hole on Thursday, Chun smashed through the first round carding nine birdies, never missing a single fairway. She went in to the second round with a five-stroke lead and was able to take that even further, carding an overall 11-under-par to take a six-stroke lead on Friday.

In golf, trying to stay on top is often considered harder than mounting a comeback. The pressure of being the leader seemed to have caught up with Chun on moving day, as she carded three birdies, four bogies and one double bogey on the par-5 16th.

Chun was still able to head into the final round with a three-stroke lead. However, Thompson caught up with Chun by the third hole, carding two birdies on the par-4 first and par-4 third while Chun bogeyed the par-3 second.

Then, on the next hole, the par-4 fourth, Chun bogeyed while Thompson parred the hole and Chun had to concede the lead. Thompson was playing strong on the final round and held on to that lead until the third-to-last hole, when Chun found her chance.

On the par-5 16th, the hole that Chun had double bogeyed the day before because her second shot veered right, Chun was able to keep on the fairway this time, finding a real opportunity to play her iron sharp.

And that is what she did. Her third iron shot landed right next to the hole and despite rolling back a little bit, Chun slotted in her birdie putt to catch up with Thompson as the American bogied the hole.

For the next two holes, Chun kept at a steady pace, parring the par-4 17th and par-4 18th to win her first major of the season.

Chun In-gee celebrates making her putt for par on the 18th green to win during the final round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club on Sunday in Bethesda, Maryland. [AFP/YONHAP]

"I made it," Chun said in a post-match interview.

"First nine holes I got a lot of pressure, so to be honest, I couldn't enjoy to play golf. I believe if I stick to my game plan and then I believe I have a chance in the back nine, so I try to hang in there. I'm so happy I made it. My body still shaking, though."

The win marks Chun's first wire-to-wire victory ever and her fourth career victory in her seventh season on the Tour. The most recent win was four years ago at the 2018 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship.

But while Chun may not be a huge winner on the Tour, she has proven to be especially deadly when it comes to majors. Three of Chun's four LPGA wins came at majors: the 2015 U.S. Women's Open presented by ProMedica, the 2016 Amundi Evian Championship and now the 2022 Women's PGA Championship. She is the third player from Korea to win at least three major titles, joining Hall of Famers Park In-bee and Pak Se-ri. Chun also has 10 KLPGA and two JLPGA titles to her name.

"Golf is never easy," said Chun.

"Just don't crack under pressure, or just keep doing what you want because from here I said I want to see the big picture. Just trying to keep going to catch my goal. No matter what people said.

"When I got a slump, some people said, In Gee, you should retire because your game is not good right now, but no matter what they said, I believe I can make win again. I'm so proud now."

Chun has played 13 events this year, making 12 cuts with one runner-up performance and now one win. With the major title, Chun earns $1.35 million, increasing her career earnings to $6,630,020.

Alongside Chun, four other Korean golfers landed in the top 10 on Sunday, with Kim Hyo-joo, LPGA rookie Choi Hye-jin and Kim Sei-young finishing tied for fifth with one-under-par and Ji Eun-hee finishing tied for 10th at par.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]