Hannah Green Wins Women’s PGA Championship

Elliott Heath

The 22-year-old became the first Australian female Major winner since 2006

Hannah Green Wins Women's PGA Championship
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Hannah Green Wins Women’s PGA Championship

Hannah Green’s maiden LPGA Tour title came at a Major as she won the Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine wire-to-wire in Minnesota.

The Aussie held a one stroke lead with 18 holes to play and managed to maintain it, making a sandy par at the 72nd hole to lift the title.

She got off to a great start with two birdies and five pars in her opening seven holes but then began to falter with a bogey at 9 and then two further dropped shots at 11 and 12.

However, she rallied and birdied the 16th to stretch her advantage on a tough day for scoring at Hazeltine to head to the 18th tee two ahead of defending champion Sung Hyun Park.

Park, playing in the group ahead of green, made an excellent birdie on the final hole with the Aussie watching from the fairway knowing that a par was needed to take the title.

Green found the fairway but then tugged her six iron left into the bunker before a clutch up-and-down from the sand.

She was then surrounded by friends, fellow pros, her boyfriend and legendary Australian player Karrie Webb who soaked her in what looked like beer and reduced her to tears.

(Photo by Bryan Singer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The 22-year-old became the first Australian Major winner since Karrie Webb in 2006.

This will likely push her on to more success in her career, as Karrie Webb knows after giving her a scholarship in 2015.

“That was world class; the way she closed out that tournament,” Webb said.

“She was made for winning LPGA tournaments and Najor championships.”

Watch: Green’s final round highlights –

Park finished as runner-up with England’s Mel Reid tied-third with Nelly Korda.

Reid recorded her best ever finish in a Major with a Sunday 66, featuring eight birdies and two bogeys.

She was clubhouse leader for some time before Park posted seven under and then Green won on eight under.

Reid was one of the players to head to the 18th green and congratulate the winner.

“I am pretty much speechless,” Green said in an interview after whilst holding back the tears

“I was really nervous playing the last five holes and I’m just happy to make that putt on the last. It really is surreal.

“I’ve always wanted to win in front of an Aussie crowd and even though I’m not in Australia, it was like that today.

“To win a major as my first event, I am over the moon.”

Watch: Final round highlights –

Green is a relative unknown, having played just a couple of seasons on the LPGA Tour.

However, she has shown great potential, especially after winning three times on the LPGA Symetra Tour in 2017 to be named the Rookie of the Year.

She ranked 114th in the world before the week and had recorded just one top 10 all season at the Australian Ladies Open.

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