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Mi Jung Hur wins Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open despite hating links golf; Jutanugarn sisters finish in the top five

August 11, 2019
mi jung hur Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open - Day Four

Mark Runnacles

The weather was brutal Sunday for the final round of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick. Temperatures were in the 50s, and the course—already soggy from a storm during the second round—became saturated by more rain, forcing members of the grounds crew to squeegee away standing water on the greens. It only got worse as the day went on, but Mi Jung Hur appeared unfazed by the weather. A four-birdie run that started on the ninth hole put her in the lead, and birdies on 16 and 18 completed a five-under-par 66, the lowest round of the day, for a four-shot win over Moriya Jutanugarn (71) and Jeongeun Lee6 (70). Hur finished with a total of 20-under 264.

After three rounds, Jutanugarn had led Hur and Lee6, the 2019 U.S. Women's Open Champion, by one. Jutanugarn's sister, Ariya, who won this event in 2018, shot a final-round 68 Sunday to finish fifth.

Staying ahead of major champions wasn't the only challenge for Hur. She also had to get over her lack of love for links golf.

"I think because of when you miss the fairway, there is a really thick rough," Hur said. "If you've got bad luck, you really cannot get out from there. I think that's why I don't like it."

But that wasn't an issue for Hur on Sunday. She hit every fairway during the final round and missed just three greens.

The 29-year-old from South Korea won as an LPGA Tour rookie in 2009 but didn't win again until 2014. She waited another five years for her next win—this one. Hur had played in 112 LPGA events since that win in 2014. She said she played some of the best golf of her career in 2017 but struggled last year, never finishing in the top 20. She said she re-set "to get out of the stress from the golf." She got married last year and focused on being happy off the course. That mentality is helping on-course, as well.

"I want to find more happiness with my families," Hur said, "and that stuff's helping me a lot to just enjoy the golf."