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Ryu Hae-ran captures third career LPGA title in Utah

Published: 05 May. 2025, 11:26

Ryu Hae-ran holds the trophy after winning the LPGA Black Desert Championship golf tournament on May 4, 2025, in Ivins, Utah, United States. [AP/YONHAP]

Ryu Hae-ran has captured her third career LPGA title in Utah in wire-to-wire fashion.

Ryu shot a bogey-free final round of eight-under 64 to win the inaugural Black Desert Championship at Black Desert Golf Course in Ivins, Utah, on Sunday at 26-under 262. Ryu, who had six birdies and an eagle, beat Esther Henseleit of Germany and Yin Ruoning of China by five strokes.

This was a strong bounce back for Ryu after she blew a 54-hole lead and tied for sixth place at the Chevron Championship, the first major of the season, in Texas last week.

Ryu, who grabbed a winner's check worth $450,000, is the third Korean winner on the tour this season, joining Kim A-lim and Kim Hyo-joo.

Ryu, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, now has a victory in each of her first three seasons on the LPGA Tour. She is the 23rd Korean player with at least three LPGA titles.

She also became the second player to post a wire-to-wire victory in LPGA this year and it was her second time winning an inaugural tournament, following her victory at the FM Championship last September.

Ryu took a two-shot lead over Yin into the final round at 18-under, following rounds of 63-67-68, with Henseleit sitting another stroke behind the Korean player.

With the three players together in the final group, Ryu opened the day with a birdie on the first hole and made consecutive birdies on No. 6 and No. 7 to reach 21-under.

As Yin stalled, Henseleit made a move with five birdies on the front nine to move to 20-under, just one back of Ryu at the turn.

But Ryu, after missing a six-foot birdie attempt on the 10th hole, began pulling away with a 15-foot birdie putt on the next hole. Then on the 13th, Ryu ripped a tee shot across a lake and reached the green in two en route to her third eagle in as many days on the par-72 course.

After another birdie on 15, Ryu capped her victory with a birdie at the final hole.

Henseleit remained stuck in neutral on the back nine and ended up making seven straight pars before closing with a birdie on the 18th hole, by which time it was already too little, too late. Yin, after one birdie on the front nine, stormed back with four straight birdies starting on 11, but a double bogey on 16 took the wind out of her sails.

Ryu was one of just three players to break 70 in all four rounds. On Sunday, Ryu found all 14 fairways off the tee and reached 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

The 10 LPGA tournaments so far this year have produced 10 different winners.

Yonhap