NORTON — Before the inaugural FM Championship at TPC Boston could crown its first champion, the players who were still in contention first had to endure a weather delay of over two hours.
The final two players Jin Young Ko and Haeran Ryu went to a playoff hole with darkness threatening before Ryu eventually prevailed on hole 19.
Most of the players were already done when lightning forced the remaining competitors, fans and officials to safe areas at 3:40 p.m.
Both Jin Young Ko and Haeran Ryu were atop the leaderboard at 15-under par at the time.
Ko said she tried to stay warm and in the right mindset while she waited.
“I don’t know, I was cold, and I took a rest in the car with my manager, just listening to music, just trying to be really, really calm,” said Ko, who didn’t think the weather changed the way the course was playing.
“It’s not much different, but the course will be more wet, so not much release from the tee to fairways. Greens, as well, and green speed getting, like, slow,” she said. “But overall this golf course was so nice and so pure, so it doesn’t much change. If it rains, it rains.”
Could Riuxin Liu get a new sponsor after Sunday? — What did Riuxin Liu have for breakfast before starting the day with seven straight birdies?
“I had McDonald’s, actually,” she said. “I had McDonald’s yesterday, and I was like, oh, I had my lowest round ever, so I’m going to eat the same thing again today.”
The McMuffin method led to a 64 on Saturday with eight birdies, an eagle and two bogeys. She was still lovin’ it on Sunday with seven straight birdies to start the day and nine total (one bogey) in the round for another 64. She finished third and pocketed $251,594, which will buy (at an average of $4 per breakfast sandwich) 62,898 McMuffins.
It was an unusual event for the Chinese golfer, who started the tournament with a 9 on her first hole (No. 10) on Thursday. To climb back to third seemed impossible.
“This week has been very (pausing), like I can’t believe it’s true because starting with a 9 off the bat with the tournament, I don’t really even think I can make the cut,” she said. “So I’m very grateful to even have a tee time on Saturday, and to have the best score of my career two times in a row is just amazing.”
Khang’s hometown experience delivered — Megan Khang shot 1-over in Round 4 and finished the tournament 3-under. While the Rockland native didn’t raise the trophy on the 18th green, the 26-year-old was still happy to have an LPGA tournament in her home state.
“Coming into this week I knew it was going to be a fun week and just kind of just really wanted to soak it all in,” Khang said. “The crowd and the fans did not disappoint; neither did the golf course. … Despite having a 1-over day today I felt like I played relatively well. Clearly not at the top, but being in front of a home crowd, happy to make the weekend. Would’ve loved to perform a little better, but overall just kind of happy how I handled this week.”
Khang was also appreciative of how the crowd grew over the four days, with Sunday being the largest.
“The crowd is incredible,” she said. “Boston is a sports town. The way the crowd came out and showed up for the LPGA, it means the world to me,” she said. “Not only because being from here, but to see how big women’s golf is here in New England. … I wear Massachusetts as like a huge badge of honor, and I’m very proud of it.”
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- Lightning puts LPGA’s FM Championship at TPC Boston in delay
