Just seconds after In Gee Chun sank her final putt at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, she hugged runner-up Lexi Thompson. It was a historic moment for Chun, 27, who won her third major on the LPGA Tour and secured the $1.35 million winner's check Sunday.
"I am just so proud. I have been waiting for this moment. And it finally happened," Chun told ESPN. "Sometimes my golf is not perfect. But I was able to keep focus and keep a good attitude."
One week before Chun teed it up at Congressional, she questioned her path in golf. While talking to her older sister on the phone, Chun couldn't stop crying. The South Korea-born Chun didn't want to stay in the United States. She missed home. She was feeling lost and was worried about how best to manage her depression.
"I don't have any goal because I can't see the goal. Because now, I feel really hurt," Chun said to her sister ahead of the major. Her sister told her to quit golf and focus on herself.
Chun paused. Her sister's words served as a wake-up call. She didn't want to quit. "I believe I still have a spirit, and I said, 'In Gee, you still want to play golf.'"
No one could keep up with Chun during the first two days at Congressional. She held a 6-shot lead heading into the weekend after shooting 64 and 69. Then her collapse appeared to be happening. Shooting a 75 on Saturday, Chun managed to maintain a lead. But her lead was vulnerable to Thompson's game. Or so it appeared.
After shooting a 2-under 70 on Saturday, Thompson found herself playing in the final group. She appeared confident, collected and in complete control of her game. "I'm just happy I'm putting myself in contention," Thompson said after the third round. "I know I've put in the hard work, and to see it pay off means the world."
Thompson signed autographs and smiled for pictures before the final round. Trailing Chun by 3 at the start of the day, Thompson quickly found her pacing. She appeared unstoppable. By the fourth hole, Thompson had taken the lead. She finished the front nine 1 under. That's when serious thoughts started whirling about whether the 27-year-old Thompson could finally secure her second major.
It's been eight years since Thompson hoisted a major trophy and three years since she claimed a victory on tour. Over the past year, her short game started to match her long game, and Thompson found herself comfortably on leaderboards. This season, she has finished runner-up in two tournaments and placed in the top 10 in three others. Putting herself in consistent contention, it felt like things were coming back together for Thompson.
Thompson teetered on the par-4 12th hole at Congressional as she propelled her body through her drive off the tee. Her left leg appearing off-balance, Thompson let out an uneasy "humph" as she watched her ball shoot rough off the fairway to the right. At the moment, it didn't seem catastrophic. But after making a bogey, it felt like self-doubt crept back in. Two holes later, on the 14th, she missed a 2-foot putt for par.
Then she missed another short putt with two holes to go. Chun made a birdie. Thompson's lead quickly evaporated. And it appeared that her confidence left with it. On 17, Thompson made another bogey. Chun took the lead, while Thompson's game started to collapse. Playing the last six holes 1 under, Chun secured her third major and fourth overall on the LPGA with a 5-under 283 total. Thompson made three bogeys on the last six holes.
While Chun cried tears of joy after sinking her final putt, Thompson held back tears of defeat. She walked off the 18th hole, her shoulders low. Thompson signed autographs and put on a brave face for the young fans. Then, she skipped talking to the media. No explanation was necessary.
The winner of the day, Chun, embraced her competitors. She had put up a fight. It had been six years since Chun's last major and four years since her previous career victory on the LPGA.
For the last nine holes, the television commentary focused on Thompson and her "demons" of self-doubt, her mental game and her "being in a better place." At the same time, Chun shed light on the pressures of playing at this level after winning. "There's a lot of pressure out there. And you really don't know what the other person is thinking. But we all feel pressure.
"When you are in the final group on final day, there's a lot of pressure. I think Lexi played great. It's easy to see misses, but she played great."
The focus of runners-up continues to be a pressing and prevalent topic in the golf world, especially related to majors. Last week, Will Zalatoris finished second for the third time in a major. And every time there's a significant runner-up like Thompson, it can be easy to try to nail down exactly what happened and why.
Thompson, who wasn't made available for an interview post-tournament, posted a picture of herself fist-pumping on the final day just hours after she finished second. Her caption read, "Not the outcome I wanted but still a special week getting to play Congressional Country Club in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship!"
We might never fully understand what happened on the back nine at Congressional. We might never fully understand what it feels like to miss short putts and lose a major lead. We might never fully understand what it feels like to hug a major champion while holding back tears. And that's OK.