Golf roundup: Danielle Kang wins Women’s PGA Championship for her first LPGA Tour title

Danielle Kang birdied the final hole to win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title, a major no less, by edging defending champion Brooke Henderson.

Kang bogeyed the tricky par-three 17th while Henderson closed with two birdies to move into a tie for the lead, coming up just short on a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-five 18th. But Kang responded with two solid shots to get to the green in two at No. 18, and then two-putted for the victory.

“I just told myself it was my week. It was my day,� Kang said.

It was another great finish for the LPGA Tour’s second major of the season. The 19-year-old Henderson beat Lydia Ko in a playoff last year at Sahalee in Washington.

The 24-year-old Kang closed with a four-under 68 to finish at 13-under 271 at Illinois’ Olympia Fields.

Henderson had a 66 while overnight co-leader Chella Choi shot a 71 to finish third at 10 under.

Kang also had a clutch 21-foot par putt at 16 on her way to a four-under 68 and the winner’s check of $525,000. Henderson closed with a 66 to finish a stroke back, and Chella Choi, who was tied with Kang for the lead coming into the day, was third at 10 under after a 71.

Kang’s previous best finish in a major was a tie for 14th in the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open.

Henderson made a strong bid for a second straight title in the event, jumping up the leaderboard three birdies in her first seven holes. But the Canadian had nine straight pars in the middle of the round.

Mi Hyang Lee (67), Amy Yang (68) and Sei Young Kim (68) tied for third at nine under, and Lexi Thompson (69) and Inbee Park (68) were another two strokes back.

“I kind of had a mix of really good putts that had a chance to go in, and some that maybe I would have liked to give a better opportunity for,� Henderson said.

Stanley claims PGA event in playoff

Kyle Stanley got up-and-down for par from just over the 18th green to win the Quicken Loans National on the first hole of a playoff with Charles Howell III.

On a chaotic final day at TPC Potomac that included a five-minute delay for a pop-up storm, Stanley and Howell finished at seven-under 273 after matching final-round four-under 66s. Howell had a 21-foot putt to win on the final hole of regulation that rolled over the left edge of the cup.

In the playoff, both missed the fairway and the green. Howell’s chip came up short and he missed the 11-foot par putt. Stanley chipped to within five feet and pumped his fist as the putt dropped.

It was the second career victory for Stanley, who had struggled following his 2012 win at the Phoenix Open.

On Sunday, the crowds were bigger, the course was softer and chaos broke out. Then it started pouring. A pop-up storm temporarily soaked TPC Potomac and doomed the chances of Sung Kang, who didn’t pack any rain gear in his bag and missed a four-foot birdie putt in the heart of the downpour just before play was stopped for five minutes.

His consolation prize was qualifying for his first British Open. The top four players who weren’t already exempt earned spots, and Kang, who finished in an eight-way tie for fifth, got the final berth because of his world ranking. The other British Open qualifiers were Stanley, Howell and Martin Laird of Scotland, who closed with a 67. He tied for third at five under with Rickie Fowler, who shot a 65.

Perry earns second U.S. Senior Open title

Kenny Perry claimed his second U.S. Senior Open, pulling away from Kirk Triplett at Salem Country Club in Peabody, Mass., to finish at 16 under and win by two strokes.

The 56-year-old Perry closed with a shot two-under 68 for a record score of 264. Perry also won the event in 2013 in Omaha, Nebraska. It is his fourth major victory on the senior tour.

Perry started the day one stroke behind Triplett but five ahead of the next-closest contender, Brandt Jobe. Triplett, who tied the tournament record with a 62 in the opening round, had five bogeys Sunday and shot 71.

Jobe had a 70 to finish seven strokes back. Tom Lehman and Fred Couples each shot 69 to tie for fourth at eight under.

Fleetwood wins French Open

Tommy Fleetwood shot a faultless five-under 66 to win the French Open by one shot over Peter Uihlein of the United States. The Englishman had five birdies and no bogeys to finish at 12 under while Uihlein just failed to force a playoff after making a late charge.

The 26-year-old Fleetwood has been in good form recently, finishing fourth at the U.S. Open last month. This was his third European Tour win and second of this year, after clinching the prestigious Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January ahead of Dustin Johnson and Pablo Larrazabal. The victory moved Fleetwood to the top of the Race to Dubai rankings.

Uihlein, the overnight co-leader, was seeking his second career win and posted a three-under 68. The American made a rough start, with bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5 at the Club National in Guyancourt. But he then recovered superbly, sinking four birdies from Nos. 11 to 17 to give himself a chance of catching Fleetwood. Ultimately, Uihlein fell short, managing only par on the 18th.

Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark had eight birdies during a six-under 65, while Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera shot 66 as both charged up the leaderboard to finish in a tie for third with Sweden’s Alexander Bjork (71) at eight under. Bjork, the overnight co-leader with Uihlein, could only manage par on the day, with three bogeys canceling out his three birdies.

Thomas Pieters of Belgium and Englishman Andy Sullivan — one shot back from the co-leaders overnight along with Fleetwood — had a bad day with three-over 74s.