14 June 2021: Scoring records. Epic saves. And the thick marine layer washing over the afternoon at Lake Merced Golf Club. The final day of the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship did not disappoint. When the fog settled, it was 2020/21 LPGA Tour rookie Matilda Castren atop the leaderboard in Daly City at -14 after a fourth-round 65. Castren, who is the fourth Rolex First-Time Winner of the 2021 season, became the first player from Finland to win on the LPGA Tour.
“I can’t believe it’s happening. I mean, I knew one day it would be me, but you didn’t think it was going to be so soon. But I’m obviously so happy right now,” said Castren, whose 274 bested the 72-hole tournament scoring record by two shots. “It has been a dream of mine to win since I was a little girl, and to see it happen and to win, it’s such an amazing feeling. There is nothing that compares to it.”
Castren was effortless on the front nine, opening with three-straight birdies and then an eagle on No. 5. Another birdie on No. 9 gave her a three-stroke lead at the turn over the 54-hole leader and fellow Symetra Tour winner, Min Lee. As Lee birdied No. 10 to close the cap, Castren posted crucial par saves at Nos. 10 and 11 to keep the momentum going as she finished out the day.
“It helped a lot. Gave me some momentum making those important par saves. If I had maybe missed one or two it maybe, I don’t know, could have put some bad thoughts in my mind,” said Castren. “I knew I was putting great and made those putts, so that was a really good feeling.”
By the time Castren got to No. 18, the Fin held a two-stroke lead after Lee bogeyed the par-3 17th, but settled her nerves enough to close out the victory.
“I knew I had a two-shot lead and Min was by the green with two shots and I knew she had a chance to make eagle,” said Castren. “I was just telling myself, ‘Okay, you got to birdie this to win.’ So I hit a great shot, three feet from the hole and made the putt.”
Lee, who recorded a 69 to finish in solo second at -12, refused to be upset after her performance in her second appearance at the MEDIHEAL Championship.
“Definitely she started really well and she just flew after a few holes. I just kept trying, telling myself that it’s going to come, it’s going to come, and just keep playing my game, be patient. Whatever happens is going to happen, so I can’t force anything,” said Lee. “Only thing I can control is myself. I just tried to play the best I can. I didn’t play bad. She played great. I’m not going to say anything like bad to myself. I just need to practice being in this position, and one day I will win a tournament.”
Hannah Green and So Yeon Ryu posted 66 and 67s on the final day, respectively, to finish in a tie for third at -8. Green notched her third top-three finish of the year. She’s hoping to continue her strong weekend play through the next two events at the Meijer LPGA Classic and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“It’s nice that I do have a good weekend. I feel like my first two years I was just striving to make the cut and then golfing around on the weekend. I guess it’s nice to have experience of being in contention, and obviously having a couple wins you’re never really out of it. That’s the goal, is to have many weeks in the top-10 and keep putting myself around it,” said Green. “I’m hoping next week and at KPMG, I can put myself in a better start the first couple days and just keep going.”
Four players finished in a tie for fifth at -7, including Celine Boutier, who set the MEDIHEAL 18-hole scoring record with a fourth-round 68. Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Angel Yin, 18-hole leader Leona Maguire and 2018 champion Lydia Ko all tied for ninth at -6. Defending champion Sei Young Kim finished T34 at -1. Lake Merced Golf Club member Michelle Wie West finished T40, playing the weekend for the first time since the 2019 Honda LPGA Thailand.
MIN LEE NOT BOTHERED BY RUNNER-UP FINISH
She only surrendered one bogey in the final round of the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship, but Min Lee was far from disappointed in her 3-under par 69 performance on Sunday at Lake Merced Golf Club. The result is good for her first top-10 in her 93rd start of her LPGA Tour career.
“After she hit that shot [on No. 5], she left it short and very close to the hole [for eagle], and I knew she was going to make it because that was her day,” said Lee, who concluded the tournament at -12 overall. “The only thing I thought today was just play my game because I can’t control how she plays. She played really good and I’m happy for her. I’m practicing being in the position and trying to fight for it. Hopefully one day will come true.
“It’s not a tough pill to swallow. It’s definitely good to me and her because she has great experience, and me too. This is not really bothering me because it’s a good week. What else should I say, right? I think I played good today and obviously she played much better on the front. I’m not going to punish myself. It was a great week.”
CELINE BOUTIER SETS MEDIHEAL 18-HOLE SCORING RECORD
When her group’s walking scorer mentioned that she had just set the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship 18-hole tournament scoring record, Celine Boutier jokingly said, “I never want to play this course again.” It was exhilaration in its finest form; a sense of defeating Lake Merced Golf Club, or the feeling of coming as close as possible to doing so. The 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open champion fired a bogey-free, 8-under par 64 with six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 5th.
“Hit driver and then hybrid. I don’t remember exactly the distance I had to the pin, but that gave me a 20- to 25-footer and I made it,” said Boutier, who hit 15 greens in regulations on Sunday. “I feel like the first couple of hole started kind of slow, but they’re also tough holes. At the same time, I was also happy to get away with a few pars to start off the round. The eagle definitely got me a little bit of momentum.”
Boutier will skip the Meijer LPGA Classic to prepare for the third major of the 2021 LPGA Tour season—the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club from June 24-27.
“I think I’m going to rest for a couple of days because the past three weeks have been pretty tiring, to be honest,” Boutier said. “The courses have not been flat, just physically a little bit harder. Definitely rest a couple of days, but then try to get my game ready for Atlanta. I need to work on my 3-wood, haven’t been that confident with it. Also my pitching wedge, just for like yardage and distance control, so a little bit of room for improvement there.”
LPGA Release
