An Unlikely U.S. Women's Open Runner-Up, Mina Harigae Enjoys a Career Week

The highest American finisher at Pine Needles was a standout junior but had little to show for 12 years as a pro. Sunday, she won $1.08 million.

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. – The highest American finisher in the 77th U.S. Women’s Open was an unlikely candidate.

Mina Harigae won the 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links at age 17, but hasn’t exactly been a fixture atop LPGA Tour leaderboards in her 12 professional seasons. In fact, heading into this week’s USGA national championship at Pine Needles, Harigae had missed five of 10 cuts this season and had never won at the highest level in 255 career starts.

She had produced just 19 top 10 finishes before settling into a groove over four solid rounds in the North Carolina sandhills and receiving plenty of air time. Harigae logged some captivating golf, finishing second behind winner Minjee Lee for a runner-up finish and the largest payday of her checkered professional career -- $1,080,000 -- after a final-round 1-over 72.

“It definitely means a lot to me (being the top American), especially having played on the Solheim Cup last year and wanting to play on it again,” she said of her 9-under-par finish. “I put my head down a little bit (coming off the 18th green) because I didn’t get the job done but I feel really happy with the result.

“This is definitely one of the top one or two highlights of my career, obviously with the prize money but also solo second in a major is my best so far. I’m really happy with it.”

There was little drama on whether Harigae would catch champion Lee as the shadows grew long off the tall North Carolina pines, but there was some financial suspense over the final few holes as Harigae, who fell short by four shots, became the first female golfer to win $1 million for finishing second.

“I’m not going to lie, my stomach hurt the last couple holes; I was really stressed out,” Harigae said. “I just tried to focus on making solid contact and making putts.

“I didn’t think about it much but if this is the (money) trend where women’s golf is going then I think it’s great.”

Tied with Lydia Ko and Hyejin Choi late in the round, Harigae hit a shot from 106 yards to within 3 feet and made birdie putt on the 15th hole to go 9-under, while Ko and Choi playing ahead of her were bogeying to fall two behind her second-place pace.

“It was downwind so it was a perfect sand wedge for me,” Harigae said of the key stroke of her round. “I caught it solid – and I pulled it off.”

Harigae’s previous U.S. Women’s Open appearances had been unimpressive with a combined 127-over-par total with none of her 36 rounds breaking 70. Her best finish had been a tie for 28th in 2012.

There would be no attack on the leader and eventual winner in Sunday’s final round. Few expected there would be from the 32-year-old Harigae. However, an opening-round 64 – the low round of the championship – followed by a 69 placed Harigae in the final pairing with Lee on Saturday. And an even-par 70 was good enough to secure a spot in the final pairing of the final round of a major – quite foreign territory.

“That was one of the top rounds I’ve ever played where I was that nervous,” she said. “But I think I handled it pretty well for the situation so I’m proud of myself.”

The last time Harigae teed it up at Pine Needles was in her first of 12 U.S. Women’s Opens – and she left that day with a final-round 80 and a 21-over-par total. So that’s a 30-shot swing to the good for a player who has recorded sparse shining moments since her stellar junior golfing days.

“I didn’t remember that but I do remember making that cut as a teenage here and that was pretty cool,” she said.

Any thoughts of Harigae making a run at Lee were quickly dispelled with Lee making birdies on the first two holes out of the gate to jump to a five-stroke lead over Harigae, who would never get closer than four shots the rest of the way on a day the Donald Ross-designed course finally showed its teeth with a scoring average at more than 75 with just one round under par.

The top-10 finish secures Harigae, of Monterey, California, a rather nice trip home next year to the site of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open – Pebble Beach.

“People will be jealous but I think I’ve played there over 30 times,” Harigae said. “I have some great memories of Pebble Beach and it’s my favorite place on Earth so I’m looking forward to it next year.”

Harigae was able to stay on contention by hitting 51 of 55 fairways – good for eighth in the field – and finishing third in putting.

“My main takeaways from this week was I was really able to handle myself out there,” Harigae said. “I belong up there.”