Women’s British Open: Lewis captures title in style

Stacy Lewis’ day began at 4.30am, some 13 hours later it peaked with a stunning birdie-birdie finish to secure her first Women’s British Open crown.

Lewis didn’t play in the 2007 championship here but was a leading part of the winning Curtis Cup team the following year, she actually became the first ever player to win all five matches in the competition.

Since then she has won seven times on the LPGA Tour, and her last victory in March of this year unseated Yani Tseng as the new World No 1. She was then overtaken by Inbee Park in April.

In the second of two rounds on Sunday the 28-year-old, winner of the 2011 Kraft Nabisco, rallied from two early bogeys with birdies at the 7th and 8th. By that point she was back in a share of the lead but more dropped shots followed at 11, 12 and 15, albeit the last one following a third birdie at the 14th.

At the end of her third round Lewis refused to be too downbeat after bogeys at 16 and 17, in the fourth round she turned the championship on its head with a 5-iron approach to the 17th circled the slope to 18 inches.

Then, after electing to putt for her second shot and misjudging it by 20 feet, she then rolled in a perfect putt to set a target that left Na Yeon Choi needing a birdie in the last four holes.

The win was the first by an American for 11 Majors (all won by Asian players), Lewis also being the last at the 2011 Kraft Given the nature of the Road Hole the other challengers, Morgan Pressel and Suzann Pettersen, could be discounted.

As could Choi who missed a par putt at the hole which had played the hardest all wee. A closing eagle, which had been produced earlier in the day by Catriona Matthew, was not going to happen and a par gave her a share of second with her compatriot Hee Young Park. 

The win was the first by an American for 11 Majors (all won by Asian players), Lewis also being the last at the 2011 Kraft.

All the talk at the start of the week was over whether fellow Korean Park, could make it four Majors in succession, in the end her scores deteriorated with every round. On day one she was six under after 10 holes and in the lead, on Sunday she opened with a four putt en route to a 78 where exhaustion and problems with her putting caught up with her.

She can look forward to the same questions being asked again at the Evian Championship in September.

Amateur champion Georgia Hall shared the Smyth Salver for  the leading amateur honours after tying with Lydia Ko on +6. The New Zealander also won the same award last year at Hoylake.