Who knows how or why the Old Course picks her favourites, but Stacy Lewis confirmed beyond doubt she’s one of them with a glorious finish to claim the RICOH Women’s British Open title.
The 28-year-old Texan has never lost at the Home of Golf and she wouldn’t be denied in the biggest championship either, back-to-back birdies on the final two holes snatching the title away from Korea’s Na Yeon Choi, who had a three-shot lead with six to play.
Lewis, who won all five of her matches as the star of the USA team in the 2008 Curtis Cup on the Old Course, is the first American to claim the British title since Sherri Steinhauer in 2006 and only the second since the event became a major championship in 2001.
Lewis finished with an eight-under total of 280, her final round par 72 being more than good enough as winds continued to make play tough although not nearly to extent that caused Saturday’s postponement of the third round.
It’s Lewis’ second major title, and another chapter in the remarkable story of becoming a champion after undergoing invasive surgery when a teenager to correct a curvature of the spine.
“It’s hard to imagine, you’re battling so hard all day and then you suddenly make a couple of birdies at the end and it’s all over,” she said.
“That five-iron (on 17) was maybe the shot of my career, I just knew that if I got to seven-under it might be good for a play-off.
“When we walked off the green my caddie and I said to each other “just one more”. I knew eight-under would be tough to catch.”
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