Amy Yang’s eagle on the 13th hole during last month’s CME Group Tour Championship, the season finale of the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour, has been recognized as the best sand wedge shot of the year.
On Saturday, The Associated Press unveiled its selections for the best shots by each club from the PGA and LPGA Tours. Among them, Amy Yang’s second shot on the 13th hole at the CME Group Tour Championship stood out: a 58-degree wedge shot from 80 yards away from the pin. The shot grazed the pin, got a backspin, and found its way into the hole.
Following an intense competition for the lead, Yang shifted the momentum with this pivotal shot. Yang catapulted into sole possession of the lead, successfully fending off Japanese golfer Nasa Hataoka to claim the trophy and 2 million U.S. dollars in prize money. It was Yang’s first win on the U.S. mainland, who had previously won four LPGA Tour events in South Korea and Thailand. The AP called Yang’s sand wedge shot “worth 2 million dollars check.”
Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com