Golfer Haeran Ryu Overcomes 10-Shot Deficit for First Major Win

Haeran Ryu stood 10 shots behind the leader after the first round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, tied for 70th place and just hoping to make the cut. Four days later, she was celebrating her first major victory with champagne at Hazeltine National in Minnesota.

The 25-year-old from South Korea made history on Sunday, becoming the first golfer since 1964 to overcome a 10-shot first-round deficit and win a major championship. Her final round 70 gave her a 13-under total and a two-shot victory over fellow South Korean Ina Yoon.

"It feels like dreams do come true," Ryu said after the win.

The final round at Hazeltine was anything but easy. After a three-and-a-half hour weather delay, Ryu faced winds of 14 mph and immediately lost her one-shot lead with a bogey on the first hole.

She bogeyed three of the first five holes while four different players took turns at the top of the leaderboard. But Ryu found her rhythm on the back nine, shooting 34 to pull away from the pack.

The turning point came before the second round when Ryu switched back to an old putter. That decision paid off with a tournament-shifting 64 that launched her comeback.

Why This Inspires

Ryu had squandered 54-hole leads in majors twice before, carrying the weight of those disappointments into Sunday. Instead of crumbling under pressure, she weathered every challenge with clutch birdies at the seventh, ninth, 10th, and 12th holes.

The victory earned her $1.95 million from the tournament's record $13 million purse. More importantly, it proved that first-round struggles don't define final outcomes.

The tournament showcased inspiring performances throughout the leaderboard. Dutch player Dewi Weber, ranked 210th in the world, posted the highest major finish ever by a player from the Netherlands after missing the cut in four straight majors.

Canadian Brooke Henderson nearly made history of her own, attempting to become the first player to win the same major 10 years apart. She finished tied for third, calling it momentum for the season ahead.

Ryu's comeback reminds us that the greatest victories often come after the toughest starts.