So Yeon Ryu’s 62 Leaves Others in Dust

So Yeon Ryu

IT RESEMBLED FASTEST HUMAN USAIN BOLT. So Yeon Ryu entered the final round of the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic in a tie for the lead with three others. Then, like Bolt who recently sprinted to more Olympic gold in London, Ryu ran away from the pack. The 22-year-old South Korean shot a 9-under 62 to win by seven strokes. The closing 62 tied the LPGA Tour record for lowest final round by a winner.

It was Ryu’s first official victory on the LPGA Tour. Her triumph at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open didn’t count as an official win because she wasn’t an LPGA member at the time. Ryu put it all together in Ohio, hitting 12 of 14 fairways, hitting 17 of 18 greens in regulation and needing just 26 putts. Her total of nine birdies included six in a row from the 9th hole through the 14th hole.

Ryu is on her way to being named Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year. She currently leads Lexi Thompson by a comfortable margin in the points race. The women tee off at the Safeco Classic in Portland on Friday.

Lowest Final Rounds by a Winner
62 (-9), Mickey Wright, 1964 Tall City Open
62 (-7), Kathy Whitworth, 1968 Holiday Inn Classic
62 (-10), Juli Inkster, 2003 LPGA Corning Classic
62 (-10), Annika Sorenstam, 2006 State Farm Classic
62 (-9), So Yeon Ryu, 2012 Jamie Farr Toledo Classic

(Visor tip: Ward Clayton/LPGA.com)