Ariya Jutanugarn needed just a par on the final hole to win the Chevron Championship. Instead, a stubbed chip led to a bogey and ultimately cost her the season’s first major.
Jutanugarn dropped to 7 under after a final-round 71, falling into what became a five-way playoff with Hyo Joo Kim, Ruoning Yin, Lindy Duncan and Mao Saigo.
The drama unfolded on the par-5 18th where Jutanugarn, clinging to a one-shot lead, narrowly avoided disaster off the tee when her 3-wood hook barely missed a tree but found the fairway. Her second shot sailed over the green and ricocheted off the grandstand, setting up the critical moment.
What happened next caught everyone by surprise. Jutanugarn quickly addressed her ball and attempted a chip, but stubbed her wedge into the ground. The ball barely moved, and the sudden action was so unexpected that NBC’s broadcast team wasn’t initially sure if she’d made an intentional swing.
An overhead camera angle confirmed the stubbed chip. She then sent her next attempt well past the hole and couldn’t convert the comebacker for par, dropping her into the tie at 7 under.
In the playoff, all five players returned to the 18th hole. Jutanugarn’s heartbreak continued when her 6-foot birdie putt horseshoed around the cup. Kim converted her winning birdie from just 3 feet away.
