Brittany Lang captures 1st major title at U.S. Women's Open 2016  12:00, 11/07/2016

(Source: Internet)

The 30-year-old American captured her first major championship on Sunday at the U.S. Women’s Open, defeating Anna Nordqvist in a three-hole aggregate playoff for the win. Nordqvist’s tee shot at the second playoff hole, the par 4, 17^th hole landed in a fairway bunker where she was deemed by the USGA to have grounded her club and assessed a two-stroke penalty.

(Source: Internet)

"Just focusing on hitting my shots, and apparently I touched the sand. It wasn't on purpose. And just one of those things. I have to deal with the consequences. Unfortunately it happened, but it's not the end of the world," Nordqvist told the media. "I wish USGA would have told me a little bit earlier than -- they approached me after I already hit my third shot into 18, then kind of ran up to Brittany to tell her that I got penalized. I don't know if it would have changed the outcome, but it certainly would have changed my aggressiveness into the 18th pin."

Anna Nordqvist (Source: Internet)

The pair was notified of the ruling in the fairway at the third playoff hole, the par 5, 18th hole where Lang went on to make par and Nordqvist a bogey.

Lang carded a final round one-under par, 71 to finish the championship at six-under par and in a share of the lead with Nordqvist, who carded the low round of the day with a five-under par, 67. Lang’s victory is the greatest 36-hole comeback since 1990, after trailing by seven strokes midway through the championship. She is just the second American to win on Tour in 2016 and third to capture the U.S. Women’s Open since 2010.

Anna Nordqvist (Source: Internet)

A critical birdie by Lang at the 16^th hole broke her out of a tie with Anna Nordqvist, who carded the low round of the day on Sunday with a five-under par, 67 to take the lead in the clubhouse at six-under par. Nordqvist led the field this week in G.I.R. after becoming the first in the history of the championship to hit every green in regulation during the first round.

Brittany Lang (Source: Internet)

Meanwhile, 54-hole leader Lydia Ko was unable to convert the win for the second consecutive major, after also sleeping on the lead at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June. The world No.1 had an uncharacteristic final round that included a bogey at the par 3, 8^th and double bogey at the par 5, 9^thhole to drop out of the lead.

Lydia Ko (Source: Internet)

From there, Ko was unable to recover and after her group with Sung Hyun Park and Eun Hee Ji was put on the clock after the 11^th hole, continued to stumble with bogeys on the 12^th and 14^th holes.

Ko finished with a three-over par, 75 to finish at four-under par in a share of third with Amy Yang, 36-hole leader Sung Hyun Park, Eun Hee Ji.