Jeongeun Lee survived a late wobble to win the US Women's Open at the Country Club of Charleston.
Day four report
Jeongeun Lee survived a late wobble to win the US Women's Open at the Country Club of Charleston.
The 23-year-old South Korean, who began the day two shots behind joint overnight leaders Celine Boutier and Yu Liu, carded a final-day 70 to win by one.
Lee finished bogey-par-bogey but Boutier, of France, was unable to get the birdie on the last she needed to take proceedings to a play-off.
Boutier's approach found the bunker on the right of the green, leaving her needing to chip in to tie.
She was left to regret a missed birdie putt on 16, and a six at 18 cruelly left her three shots adrift.
It meant Lee, known as 'Lee6' as she is the sixth player with the same name on the Korean circuit, clinched her first win on the LPGA Tour.
Lee told Fox Sports: "I felt pretty nervous on 16, 17 and 18 but I tried the best I can.
"Throughout the year playing golf I couldn't imagine coming this far, winning a major championship, and I feel proud of myself."
Americans Angel Yin and Lexi Thompson were tied for second on four under alongside South Korean Ryu So-yeon.
Day three report
Yu Liu and Celine Boutier moved into a share of the lead ahead of the final round at the US Women's Open.
Liu carded a five-under 66 - the joint lowest round of the day - at the Country Club of Charleston, with one bogey but picking up shots on the ninth and 16th as well as firing back-to-back birdies through holes four and five and 11 and 12.
She was joined at the top of the leaderboard by former college team-mate Boutier who signed for a 69 after mixing three birdies with a single bogey to move to seven under for the tournament.
"Honestly, everything was going well. I feel like I was hitting the ball pretty good and pretty straight," Boutier told the LPGA website.
"Then when I was missing a couple of greens, my short game was there to save me. I feel like all around, my game was pretty solid."
Americans Lexi Thompson and Jaye Marie Green and previous solo leader Mamiko Higa are a shot further back on six under, while defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn shot a 69 - her best of the tournament so far - to sit tied for 27th on one over par.
England's Bronte Law, who claimed the first LPGA title of her career at the Pure Silk Championship in Virginia on Sunday, struggled to continue her momentum and finished below the cut line.
Day two report
Mamiko Higa held on to the top spot after a weather-hit day two at the US Women's Open in Charleston.
The Japanese, who a day earlier clinched a record for the lowest round in a debut at the tournament, managed to finish her second round after a near-two-hour weather delay, carding an even par 71.
After a frightening moment when a lightning strike left a split in a tree as the players waited out the delay in the clubhouse, the 25-year-old returned to the course to a close with a birdie and move to six under, one shot ahead of America's Jessica Korda who carded a 68.
"I was really happy because I could finish up a tough day with a birdie," Higa told the LPGA website. "I was so happy."
American amateur Gina Kim (72) was at four under alongside France's Celine Boutier, who was left with four holes to play when the horn was blown due to darkness.
A total of 45 players will resume their second rounds on Saturday, including defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn who is two over par with two holes to finish.
England's Bronte Law, who claimed the first LPGA title of her career at the Pure Silk Championship in Virginia on Sunday, has been unable to find the same form in Charleston and finished joint 93rd on six over par after a round of 76.
Day one report
Mamiko Higa scored a record for the lowest round in a debut at the US Women's Open as she took a one-shot lead on the opening day.
The Japanese carded a six-under 65 at the Country Club of Charleston, hitting six birdies during a blemish-free round to edge ahead of America's Gina Kim and Germany's Esther Henseleit.
The 25-year-old got off to a quick start, picking up shots on the third, fourth and fifth holes before hitting back-to-back birdies once again on the ninth and tenth.
A final birdie on the par-three 17th helped her clinch the third-lowest round in the tournament's history, with the record standing at 63.
Kim, starting on the back nine, mixed an eagle and six birdies with three bogeys to close on 66, while Henseleit hit a bogey-free round to join her in second.
France's Celine Boutier sits a shot further back on four under, closely followed by Sei Young Kim of South Korea and Spain's Azahara Munoz on 68.
England's Bronte Law, who claimed the first LPGA title of her career at the Pure Silk Championship in Virginia on Sunday, struggled to continue her momentum and finished joint 43rd on one over par.
She was joined by defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn and world number one Jin Young Ko, who also opened with a 72.