Matthew best of British but it's a walk for Park

NORTH BERWICK'S Catriona Matthew had another solid major, finishing the best of the British players on a day when South Korea's 19-year-old Inbee Park became the youngest-ever winner of the US Women's Open at Interlachen Country Club in Minnesota.

Matthew, who was playing in her 13th straight US Open, birdied the final hole for a level-par 73 to finish joint 17th on one over par.

Park, who will be 20 next week, shot a final-round 71 to finish on nine-under-par 283 and won the £230,000 first prize by four shots from Sweden's Helen Alfredsson, who birdied the last for a 75.

It wasn't only a first major for Park but also a first LPGA title.

In the tough, final-day conditions Matthew, who had missed the cut in the first two majors of the season, had a mixed bag of four birdies and four bogeys and was the best of British for the second time in a row. Last year, at Pine Needles in North Carolina, she tied for 16th.

Glasgow's Janice Moodie, the second Scot in the field, ruined her hopes of a high finish with an 80 on Saturday, and she closed with a roller-coaster 75 that included four birdies and six bogeys. On 12 over, she was joint 64th.

It was an extraordinary US Open bow for Annika Sorenstam. The three-time winner, who has announced she will retire at the end of the year, had a dreadful final day and came to the 18th needing a birdie four to avoid the embarrassment of shooting 80.

She then produced a miraculous shot, holing out with a six iron from 199-yards for a spectacular eagle three for a 78. She finished in a tie for 24th on three over par.

"It was just crazy," said the Swede, whose last chance to add to her haul of ten majors will come at the Ricoh Women's British Open at Sunningdale in August.

Park, who tied for fourth last year, is the third South Korean to win the biggest title in the women's game, and she admits she was inspired to take up golf by watching compatriot Se Ri Pak win the title ten years ago.

Pak was the previous youngest at the age of 20 when she won at Blackwolf Run, while Birdie Kim became the second South Korean winner at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver three years ago.