US WOMEN’S OPEN: Lang triumphs amid more rules controversy

Brittany Lang owned just one prior LPGA Tour title before capturing the US Women’s Open.
PHOTO: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

IN THIS era of equality, it is both fitting and comically ironic that both the men’s and women’s editions of the 2016 US Open climaxed with rules controversies.

The record will show Brittany Lang is the new US Women’s Open champion, emerging victorious from a three-hole aggregate playoff with Swede Anna Nordqvist to become only the fourth American winner since 2005, but Lang got there after yet another bungled rules fiasco involving the USGA.

After seemingly matching pars at the first two playoff holes, the association became aware via TV replays that Nordqvist might have accidentally grounded her club in a bunker at the second extra hole. The players were informed once the breach was confirmed, but not until both had made key decisions at the par-5 next. Nordqvist didn’t learn of the two-shot penalty until she’d played to the green, whereas her strategy would surely have changed had she known she was two strokes behind Lang instead of tied. It was a situation eerily similar to the putting ‘did he or didn’t he?’ drama that plagued the final round of Dustin Johnson’s victory at Oakmont three weeks ago.

While on this occasion it was clear the player was in breach, once again the concern surrounds the rules officials’ timing of informing the players and whether or not another shot should have been played while ever any doubt existed – especially with only two players in action and the result hinging on the ruling. To add insult, USGA president Diana Murphy referred to Lang as “Bethany” multiple times during the presentation. It’s only July and already this is the organisation’s annus horribilis.

“We got the information out to the players as soon as we could,” the USGA said in a statement. Perhaps, but why not have the players wait during the deliberation process? It’s mid-summer in California. No one was going to be left in the dark, other than the two players…

A bunker mishap cruelled Anna Nordqvist’s chances in the playoff.
PHOTO: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

“Obviously that was very disappointing,” Nordqvist said. “I didn’t do it on purpose. It's hard to lose that way, but that's the game of golf.

“First, I couldn’t really believe that it happened. It wasn’t my intention to ground the club. It’s blowing 35, 40 [miles per hour] out there, and I had a 5-iron off a downhill lie in the bunker. It’s been a long day, a long week. So I probably misjudged it a little bit and touched a little bit of sand and that is a penalty.

“I wish the USGA would have told me a little bit earlier – they approached me after I already hit my third shot into 18, then kind of ran up to Brittany to tell her that I got penalised. I don’t know if it would have changed the outcome, but it certainly would have changed my aggressiveness into the 18th pin.”

Nordqvist’s next statement oozed the kind of class we’ve come to expect from golfers caught out in a tough situation, but a level of class we should never assume is a given.

“I don’t think anyone should feel sorry for me,” Nordqvist said. “I’m still going to wake up tomorrow. There was no reason to question it but I’m certainly disappointed.”

FINAL LEADERBOARD

Earlier, the Swede provided the most fireworks during an intriguing final round at CordeValle Golf Club. She posted a bogey-free 67, highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 15th, to assume the clubhouse lead at 6-under. Lang passed her to reach 7-under with a long birdie putt at the par-3 16th before incurring her lone three-putt of the week on the next green. A closing par left the pair tied.

The final threesome of Eun Hee Ji, Sung Hyun Park and 54-hole leader Lydia Ko spent almost four holes ‘on the clock’ for poor pace of play on the final nine, during which time each of the trio dropped two shots to par (they ultimately took five hours, 43 minutes to complete the round). Ji, the 2009 champion, dwindled from contention with four bogeys overall, while Ko made a mental error on the par-5 9th hole by attempting to do too much with her lay-up shot. She lost her ball in a hazard and ran up a double-bogey that cost her a lead she wouldn’t claim back. The Kiwi was playing catch-up thereafter and shared third place with Park, Ji and Gold Coast-schooled Amy Yang, who is fast becoming a US Women’s Open specialist with five top-five finishes in the past seven years.

Park lost her chance when she attempted to reach the par-5 18th hole in two in order to make a tieing birdie, but hooked her second shot into the greenside pond and made bogey.

The 2010 champion, Paula Creamer, was among the first to congratulate Lang.
PHOTO: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Ultimately, it was the prodigious driving and controlled putting of Lang who completed the task best. Her three pars in the playoff were officially three strokes better than the penalised Nordqvist, although the margin naturally felt closer.

“I feel like I have all the talents, physically. And I feel like I've done a lot of work with my mind these past few years, taken a break from coaches and really tapping into my natural mind and just trying to have a lot of control,” said Lang, who became the first thirtysomething player to win since Annika Sorenstam in 2006 and leaps 20 places to World No.20.

“It takes a lot of discipline and mental control when you're out there. And I just feel like I have such a good game and my mind hadn't really caught up with me. And I feel like I just wanted to put myself in these situations and learn and get better and get comfortable. So this is a step in the right direction for me, for sure. I just think mentally being disciplined and learning to have confidence and learning to play good and hit the shots under pressure, which I showed that I did definitely in regulation and coming down the stretch. So it gives me a lot of confidence. I know I’m in the right direction.”

Sadly, the Australian contingent couldn’t say the same. Minjee Lee began brightly with a 5-under 67 but could not better 75 in any subsequent round. Karrie Webb’s final bid to claim an Olympic berth fizzled into a tie for 46th.