"Leaving with another great memory, that's for sure," Sorenstam said after closing with a 78 to finish 12 shots behind in a tie for 24th. "Maybe not the one I had in mind, but I'll take it."
Such highlights were rare for everyone else.
Park was the only player to break par all four days at Interlachen, a course that showed its strength in the final round with 20 mph wind that made it tough to keep on the right side of the hole.
The lowest score Sunday belonged to 15-year-old Jessica Korda, the daughter of '98 Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda, who caddied for her. She shot a 69 and tied for 19th.
Park became the third player in the last six years to make the U.S. Women's Open her first LPGA Tour victory, and it was reminiscent of Birdie Kim's victory three years ago at Cherry Hills, minus the dramatic bunker shot for birdie on the 72nd hole.
There were so many possibilities for great story lines going into the final round -- Lewis and her remarkable recovery from back surgery that almost ended her career before she got to college; Creamer, looking poised to finally get a major to go with her marketing campaign; Alfredsson finally hopeful of U.S. Open redemption at 43.
Instead, it was Park who stole the show by simply playing the best golf.
Equipped with a two-shot lead when Lewis bogeyed the eighth and ninth, Park poured it on with a 10-foot birdie on the 11th, saving par from the bunker with an 8-foot putt on No. 12, and a 6-foot birdie on the 13th.
"Everything happened so fast. It's scary," Park said. "I really tried to stay calm, but it was so exciting, I couldn't do it. This is my day."
Park continued international dominance of the LPGA majors, as Americans have won only six of the last 31.
Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, who had finished no worse than third in the last four majors and won two of them, never got on track at Interlachen and closed with a 74 to tie for 31st.
Park's mother, Song Kim, was with her at Interlachen, but her father could not make it.
"My dad almost was going to fly to this event yesterday, but I'm like, 'No, it's OK. Stay home, you can watch TV.'"
Just like he was doing 10 years ago, only this time watching his daughter become the youngest Open champion.
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