2012 U.S. Women's Open Winner and Scores
The 2012 U.S. Women's Open was the 67th time this major championship was played. It was the second time it was played at Blackwolf Run, and the winner followed in the footsteps of her hero, who won the same tournament on the same golf course 14 years earlier.
Winner: Na Yeon Choi, 281
Where it was played: Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisconsin
Tournament dates: July 5-8, 2012
Leaders after first round: Cristie Kerr, Brittainy Lincicome, Lizette Salas, 69
Leader after second round: Suzann Pettersen, 139
Leader after third round: Na Yeon Choi, 208
What Happened at the 2012 U.S. Women's Open
A stellar third round helped Na Yeon Choi win the 2012 U.S. Women's Open, emulating her countrywoman and inspiration, Se Ri Pak. In 1998, Pak opened the door for Korean golfers on the LPGA Tour by winning the U.S. Women's Open at Blackwolf Run in Wisconsin. Choi was one of the young girls back in Korea inspired by Pak's win to take up golf.Here, 14 years later, playing on the same golf course, Choi joined Pak as a USGA champion.
Scoring was tough the first two rounds, with fewer than 10 rounds in the 60s recorded. One of those was a second-round 66 by Michelle Wie, which boosted her into a tie for second place. But Wie was not a factor on the weekend with scores of 78 and 80.
Scores generally went up throughout the field over the final two rounds, played in temperatures that approached or exceeded 100F. But Choi was scorching in a different way in the third round, shooting 65 — the low round of the tournament. That was one of only three scores in the 60s recorded in the final two rounds.
That third-round 65 propelled Choi to a 6-stroke advantage. She was on cruise control in the final round, shooting 73 and winning by four strokes. Amy Yang was the runnerup, with Sandra Gal third. Pak finished tied for ninth, her final Top 10 finish in this major. It was Choi's first major championship win, her sixth victory overall on the LPGA Tour.
Fifteen-year-old Lydia Ko, making not just her U.S. Women's Open debut but also her major championship debut, tied for 39th to earn low-amateur honors.
2012 U.S. Women's Open Final Scores
| Na Yeon Choi | 71-72-65-73—281 |
| Amy Yang | 73-72-69-71—285 |
| Sandra Gal | 71-70-74-74—289 |
| Giulia Sergas | 74-71-73-72—290 |
| Shanshan Feng | 74-74-71-71—290 |
| Ilhee Lee | 72-71-77-70—290 |
| Paula Creamer | 73-73-71-74—291 |
| Mika Miyazato | 71-71-73-76—291 |
| Cristie Kerr | 69-71-77-75—292 |
| Se Ri Pak | 72-73-76-71—292 |
| Suzann Pettersen | 71-68-78-75—292 |
| Inbee Park | 71-70-76-75—292 |
| Nicole Castrale | 73-70-74-75—292 |
| Danielle Kang | 78-70-71-74—293 |
| Lexi Thompson | 70-73-72-78—293 |
| So Yeon Ryu | 74-71-74-74—293 |
| Cindy LaCrosse | 73-74-74-72—293 |
| Brittany Lincicome | 69-80-74-71—294 |
| Vicky Hurst | 71-70-75-78—294 |
| Hee Kyung Seo | 72-73-80-69—294 |
| Jimin Kang | 72-72-78-73—295 |
| Diana Luna | 76-72-76-71—295 |
| Jennie Lee | 70-74-79-72—295 |
| Brittany Lang | 73-74-77-71—295 |
| Azahara Munoz | 73-73-73-76—295 |
| Numa Gulyanamitta | 73-76-73-73—295 |
| Yeon Ju Jung | 74-72-80-69—295 |
| Ai Miyazato | 70-74-75-77—296 |
| Pornanong Phatlum | 76-69-76-75—296 |
| Mina Harigae | 77-71-75-73—296 |
| Anna Nordqvist | 72-74-79-71—296 |
| Jin Young Pak | 73-72-80-72—297 |
| Sun Young Yoo | 76-72-81-68—297 |
| Lizette Salas | 69-73-75-80—297 |
| Michelle Wie | 74-66-78-80—298 |
| Beatriz Recari | 70-75-76-77—298 |
| Jenny Shin | 76-71-76-75—298 |
| Jennifer Johnson | 76-70-76-76—298 |
| Heather Bowie Young | 75-73-77-75—300 |
| Jeong Jang | 73-72-75-80—300 |
| Sakura Yokomine | 75-70-75-80—300 |
| Katie Futcher | 73-75-74-78—300 |
| Carlota Ciganda | 76-72-77-75—300 |
| Jessica Korda | 74-71-75-80—300 |
| a-Lydia Ko | 74-72-79-75—300 |
| Stacy Lewis | 77-69-80-75—301 |
| Jennifer Song | 72-74-81-74—301 |
| Alison Walshe | 74-71-75-81—301 |
| a-Emma Talley | 73-75-81-72—301 |
| Karrie Webb | 75-72-81-74—302 |
| Yani Tseng | 74-72-78-78—302 |
| Melissa Reid | 79-69-75-79—302 |
| Gerina Piller | 73-71-81-77—302 |
| Angela Stanford | 75-71-81-76—303 |
| Meena Lee | 71-78-76-78—303 |
| Sophie Gustafson | 77-72-84-71—304 |
| Katherine Kirk | 75-73-81-76—305 |
| Dewi Claire Schreefel | 73-76-82-74—305 |
| Angela Oh | 75-74-80-76—305 |
| Ji-Hee Lee | 79-70-83-74—306 |
| Kristy McPherson | 75-71-81-79—306 |
| a-Alison Lee | 75-74-79-78—306 |
| Lorie Kane | 76-73-82-76—307 |
| Paige Mackenzie | 75-74-83-77—309 |
| Sue Kim | 75-72-85-81—313 |
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