KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: A breakthrough for Amy Yang results in her 1st major victory

Amy Yang is finally a major champion. After 75 starts and 16 years on the LPGA, she won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship by four shots.

She carded an even-par 72 on Sunday to finish at 7-under for the tournament.

“It’s incredible,” Yang said after her win.

“I was so nervous at the beginning of the day, even the night before, and I told Jan [Meierling] on the 18th fairway that this had been the longest 18 holes I have ever played in my career.”

The 34-year-old has come close so many times in different majors but could never get over the hump. She entered the week with 21 Top-10s and 12 top-5s in majors. Last year, Yang even tied for fourth twice.

Throughout the round on Sunday, doubt lurked in the back of her mind, but it eventually subsided.

“I think I managed to stay well and stay positive, and of course, with him as well, he makes things light out there,” she said.

“You know, at one point, I thought, will I ever win a major championship before I retire? And I finally did it, and it’s just amazing.”

Yang came into the final round with a two-shot lead but extended it right away with a birdie on the par-4 1st.

She then dropped a shot on the third but added two more birdies on her front nine to keep the momentum. Another bogey came at the 10th, but Yang bounced back with two birdies over the next three holes.

The major championship pressure must have hit her down the stretch, though. Yang bogeyed 16 and double-bogeyed the 17th, but she had a large enough lead so that she did not have to sweat those three dropped shots.

“I’ve learned so many times—focus on what I can control on the golf course and keep doing what I’ve been doing,” Yang said.

“I told myself maybe more than a thousand times out there, do what I prepared and what you’ve been doing at practice.”

She made par on the 18th to beat Lilia Vu, Jin Young Ko, and Miyu Yamashita by three.

Many people gave her a champagne shower on the 18th green to congratulate her on the big victory.

The crowd waiting for her was massive. Throughout her career, Yang has become one of the more popular players among the other ladies and caddies.

She finally got over the hump, but she took the time to reflect on everything.

“Golf is really like a fight against myself,” Yang said. “I proved to myself that I can compete and do this, so it was a good learning week.”

Yang now has six LPGA victories under her belt after she won the 2023 CME Group Tour Championship last year. This breakthrough victory could be massive for her as two majors are left in the women’s season.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.