The final round of the Hartford HealthCare Women's Championship has come to a close. After play was suspended on Sunday, the field took to the course Monday morning to finish their final rounds. The conditions were prime for the athletes who were a few shots back to make a run at the lead, and a few of them tried. However, after the long weekend of golf, the Epson Tour was finally able to crown a champion in Milford after a seven-hole playoff.
In her second career Epson Tour start, Jenny Bae secured her first Epson Tour victory at the 2023 Hartford HealthCare Women's Championship in a thrilling playoff. Early in the round, the moment seemed too big for Bae, who made two bogeys in her first seven holes. The round shifted for the rookie on No. 8 when she made an eagle on the par 5. She would then birdie two of the following three holes to get to -2 for her round, and she would stay at -2 for the rest of the day and finish the tournament at -11. Bae would head into a three-way playoff with her two playing partners for the day, Minji Kang and Ssu-Chia Cheng. Cheng would exit the playoff after a bogey on the first extra hole, while Bae and Kang would battle on for six more holes. The pair traded pars until Bae finally made a tournament-winning birdie after hitting her approach shot to 8 feet.
"Overall, my round today went really well," said Bae. "Everything just kind of clicked, especially in the last seven-hole stretch in the playoff. I was a bit nervous at first, but I eased into it and told myself it is just another nine holes, and I just feel really satisfied."
The 21-year-old made her Epson Tour debut at the Inova Mission Inn Resort & Club Championship, missing the cut by five shots. The shift from college golf to professional golf is a big shift that many players are not ready for. Bae has had a decorated amateur career, finishing runner-up at the 2023 Augusta National Women's Amateur and winning the 2023 Juli Inkster Award as the top female collegiate golfer in their final season of eligibility, to name a few. Even with the accolades, Bae felt the nerves when teeing it up in May for the first time, but not to worry, the University of Georgia alumna is a quick study, and she now finds herself in the winner's circle as a professional, which not many of her peers can say.
"Your college and amateur careers are so much different than playing as a professional," said Bae. "My first tournament definitely helped me; it was a great experience. It gave me a chance to get the feeling of how professional tournaments actually work. I think my win here is a checkpoint for me to know I have the game to be out here."
Minji Kang matched Bae shot for shot for 60 holes before finally falling behind. Kang put together a -2 round on the final day of play, with a clutch chip-in on the 17th hole to tie the lead heading down 18. Kang is also in her rookie campaign, and with her runner-up finish, she collected her third top-10 of the season and will move just outside the top 10 in the Race for the Card standings. With her dad on the bag, Kang looks forward to the rest of her rookie season.
"I had a good feeling this week about everything," said Kang. "Today, I was a little nervous, but I want to say congrats to Jenny; she played great this week. My dad came over from Korea a few weeks ago to caddy, but once he came, I couldn't make a cut, and I was really sorry about that. Today felt good playing with him and I am really happy to be close to the top 10."
Ssu-Chia Cheng rounds out the playoff. Cheng is a two-time winner on the Epson Tour but fell just short in Milford. On the first playoff hole, Cheng went over the green left and found the thick rough. After a good attempt out of a difficult lie, she left herself about 8 feet to advance to the next playoff hole. The putt would slide by on the low side, with Cheng bowing out of the tournament as a runner-up. This season has been challenging for Cheng, who has only recorded one top-10 finish before this week, but she feels this week put her on the right track for the rest of the season.
"It was just a solid week for me, and my game feels really good," said Cheng. "Unfortunately, coming down 18 in regulation and in the playoff, I did not play the way I wanted to. Overall, I am really happy about the week and the progress I made. There are a ton of positives to take into the rest of the season."
Rounding out the top 5 is Auston Kim (4th) at -9 and Jiwon Jeon (5th) at -8, respectively.
QUICK QUOTES
Auston Kim (-9, 4th) on another top finish in 2023:
“The round today was just kind of boring for me. I hit it well, fairways and greens, but was just two putting a lot. I have been playing well this year but this week I just had a few too many mental errors to win. I am enthused and excited for the rest of the year though.”
Jiwon Jeon (-8, 5th) on a top-5 finish:
“The weather was a little brutal this week for us, but it is what it is, we all have to play through the same thing. I just tried to stay relaxed this week and tried to take advantage of having some extra time off between rounds. Even with everything that happened this week has been fun and I just tried to stay focused despite the distractions.”
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