South Korea’s Haeran Ryu collected her third career LPGA Tour title thanks to an impressive five-shot victory at the inaugural Black Desert Championship pres. by Greater Zion.
Ryu came into the final round at the Black Desert Golf Course with a two-shot advantage ahead of Germany’s Esther Henseleit, and three ahead of World No. 4 Ruoning Yin and immediately stretched her lead with a birdie at the par-4 1st. Henseleit remained in close proximity with birdies of her own at the 3rd and 5th to draw closer to the leader, narrowing her lead to just a single shot as they entered the back nine.
But after the turn, Ryu looked to assert her dominance with a birdie at the 11th and an eagle at the par-3 13th to stretch her lead over the German. Yin seemed to be in the process of cultivating a comeback of her own, with a birdie at the 14th to cut Ryu’s lead to three. But Ryu all but erased Yin’s chances of victory with another birdie at the 15th and Yin’s chase faltered when she made a double bogey on the 16th. By the par-5 last, Ryu had a four-shot advantage and ultimately cemented a five-shot victory, carding what was a superb final-round 64.
“It was so incredible day again because I think I have a new record for my golf because the best score on the final round, end score was 23, so today is 26, so it’s amazing,” said the 24-year-old. “Then I make some eagles for the three days in a row, so that’s really, really good again. I think this week it’s so happy.”
This marks Ryu’s third consecutive winning season following her previous two wins at 2024’s TPC Boston and 2023’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship pres. by P&G, which she won as a Rolex First-Time Winner as a rookie.
The South Korean later added. “It’s hard. This is the best one because my score is pretty good this week. This is the best one, I think. Last week on final round, my shot is so bad there, so I just call my Korean coach every day. I ask him, ‘What’s the problem? What’s it mean? What’s the problem for me?’ He said, ‘No problem, Haeran. Just keep focus and keep calm and more trust your golf.’
“That’s good for me. And then more consistence my shot and came back to win here.”
Henseleit and Yin finished in a share for second on 21 under, China’s Yan Liu finished on 19 under to end the event in fourth, and Japan’s Rio Takeda rounded off the top 5, a stroke back at 18-under.
What is the next event?
The next event on the LPGA Tour schedule is the Mizuho Americas Open taking place between 8-11 May at Jersey City, New Jersey in the U.S.