HEE KYUNG SEO
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Hee Kyung Seo has a chance to carve her own special place in history. Not simply as a U.S. Open winner – but as a U.S. Open winner who won it without hitting a single shot on the final day.
In a strange, storm-infested tournament that doesn't want to end, Seo did just about everything she could to win her first major except control the weather. She shot a pair of 3-under 68s on Sunday to finish at 3-under 281 for a one-shot lead over her South Korean rival, So Yeon Ryu, who had three holes left when darkness halted play.
Cristie Kerr was another shot back with two holes left.
Seo will sleep on the lead – though not as comfortably as she could have after missing a 3-foot par putt on No. 17 – and then has a chance to wake up Monday, come to the course, never touch a club and walk away with the trophy.
"I can sleep very well, so I don't worry about that," she said.
But she couldn't celebrate quite yet.
Rain delayed play for the fourth time in four days – this time for 2 hours, 37 minutes – and left 28 players still on the course, three of whom are still in range.
Coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com.
There's Ryu, who shot 69 on her first trip around the course Sunday morning and has at least one decent birdie opportunity – the par-5 17th – awaiting Monday morning.
"Right now, it's kind of breezy out there," she said. "Tomorrow, it might be good weather and the greens might be soft. So, it's good for me, yeah."
There's Kerr, a two-time major winner who isn't conceding anything. She was getting ready to do an interview after darkness fell when she saw Seo hugging friends and family.
"The tournament is not decided yet," Kerr said. "I think she's over there celebrating. We all have a chance. I'm going to go out and swing for the fences and hopefully tie it up."
Also with an outside chance is Angela Stanford, who is at even par, three shots behind with four holes to play.
Seo, however, is in the best position because she played better than anyone over 36 grueling holes of golf on the 7,000-yard course, longest in U.S. Women's Open history. The highlights included four straight birdies on the front nine in her final round that boosted her from 1-under par into the lead – a lead she never lost.
She scrambled through the back nine, saving par with a tricky 5-foot putt on 11, again from an awkward stance above a greenside bunker on No. 13, then again after a drive into the deep rough on 15.
"I just trusted myself and just let it go, and I made lots of birdies," Seo said.
Stanford briefly pulled into a tie with Seo, but missed a three-foot putt for bogey on No. 11 to start a free-fall – 4-over par on holes 11 through 15.
By the time Seo reached No. 17, she was ahead by two, pointing and staring at a rainbow overhead.
But the moment didn't last long. First, after being asked by tournament officials to close the gap with the group in front, she started jogging up the fairway – not exactly what you'd expect from someone trying to close out a major. A few moments later, Seo missed a 3-footer for bogey that let Ryu creep to within one shot.
Par for the course on a difficult day where pars were hard to find.
Yani Tseng had no luck. The world No. 1 never figured out the breaks that run away from the mountains on the Broadmoor's greens and finished 6 over after four exhausting days.
"It's tough to play on and off," Tseng said. "Sometimes you just want to try to get rhythm, and it's really tough."
Paula Creamer didn't fare any better. The defending champion was 5 over through the first 14 holes of the last round and will play out the string Monday, starting at 7-over par.
- Story courtesy of ESPN.com and The Associated Press/Photo courtesy of Getty Images
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