Danielle Kang poses with the trophy after winning the 2017 KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club on July 2, 2017 in Olympia Fields, Ill.
This is Danielle Kang’s sixth season on the LPGA Tour, and she’d never won a tournament - let alone a major - going into Sunday’s final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Sitting atop the leaderboard and playing in the final group in the last round for the first time ever, Kang, 24, held off a challenge from defending champion Brooke Henderson to win at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois.
Kang needed to birdie the 18th hole for the win. She’d bogeyed the 17th to drop to 12 under and Henderson, who started the day in fourth place, birdied the 17th and 18th to move into a tie for the lead and put pressure on Kang.
But Kang’s solid shot off the tee on the 18th set her up for victory and she did what she needed to do for her first LPGA win in her 144th start.
“I just trusted in my game and didn’t worry about anything else,” she said. “It’s all about believing in yourself and being confident and that’s what I did.”
Kang shot a final round 68 and finished 13 under. Henderson, who just missed eagle on the 18th hole, shot a final round 66.
Kang, a native of San Francisco, entered the day tied with Chella Choi for the lead at 10 under. The two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion (2010, 2011) is ranked No. 43 in the world.