Emma Lindemoen (a), a rising player at Amherst College, is the champion of the 30th Kentucky Women's Open, closing with a 3-over-par 75 on Wednesday at Oldham County Country Club before outlasting Ali Schrock (a), of Illinois State University, and Kaylee Dwyer (a), of Western Kentucky University, in a three-way playoff to claim the title in the first 54-hole edition of the championship.

A Final Round Comeback

Lindemoen trailed for most of the final round, struggling to find greens and birdie chances early before settling in over the closing stretch. She turned in 39 on the front with bogeys on the third, sixth and eighth holes, then rallied on the back nine, picking up a birdie on 14 before a bogey on 15 briefly slowed her charge.

"I really just had to make sure I was still playing my game," Lindemoen said. "The start was a little bit rocky. I wasn't hitting a lot of greens, wasn't getting a lot of birdie opportunities, and then the back nine, I just tried to relax and see what would happen."

Lindemoen got a break on the par-3 16th when Schrock made bogey, cutting the deficit back to two shots. Lindemoen made par on the hole to hold her position before picking up a birdie on 17, pulling her within one shot with a hole to play.

"I wasn't trying to play it that aggressive, but it worked out," Lindemoen said. "I have to get this past the hole, because if I don't play aggressive, there's really nothing to lose at this point."

Lindemoen closed her round with a bogey on 18, a number that looked to leave her one shot short until Schrock made double bogey on the same hole moments later, pulling the two into a tie. Dwyer, who had finished her round earlier in the day at 2-over, stuck around to watch the finish and found herself pulled into a three-way playoff as the group settled at even scores.

Lindemoen credited her focus on the closing holes with keeping her in contention.

"I feel like those holes are really important, no matter what round you're playing, because so much could happen, especially out here," Lindemoen said. "I really just tried to stay in every shot and not lose focus."

The Playoff

All three players found the right rough off the tee in the playoff hole. Schrock's second shot carried over a tree and found the right side of the green, leaving her a lengthy birdie putt that she was unable to convert. Dwyer, blocked out by a tree of her own, elected to hit through it, coming up short of the green and leaving herself a chip for her third shot. She got up and down for bogey. Lindemoen also had a tree directly in her line but threaded a shot through it, sticking her approach to within ten feet of the hole. She rolled in the birdie putt to win the championship outright

A Script Reversal

The win carries extra weight for Lindemoen, who lost to Taryn Walker in the semifinals of the Kentucky Women's Amateur earlier this summer after leading much of that match before falling in the closing holes. This time, the roles were reversed, with Lindemoen the one making up ground down the stretch.

"Definitely a little bit," Lindemoen said of thinking back to that match while trailing in the final round. "I was like, there's still a chance. Golf is so crazy, anyone could slip up at any moment, and anything could happen."

Lindemoen wasn't even aware a playoff was unfolding until she was walking off the 18th green.

"I had my phone turned off, and my caddie hadn't looked at the leaderboard," Lindemoen said. "No one really said anything, and everyone was kind of looking around. I thought it might be a playoff, but I didn't know for sure."

The Champion

Lindemoen's victory caps a championship week in which she finished at 2-over-par 218 across 54 holes, tied with Schrock and Dwyer before winning the playoff. Reflecting on the win, Lindemoen said the way it came together made it especially meaningful.

"It feels awesome, especially coming from behind," Lindemoen said. "It's a big confidence booster, and it was just a really fun week. I'm so glad I could finish with a win."

Thank You

The Kentucky PGA extends its sincere thanks to supporting sponsors Sterling Cut Glass and Maui Jim, along with the staff at Oldham County Country Club for hosting a memorable 30th edition of the Kentucky Women's Open. A heartfelt thank you as well to all of the players who competed this week, and to the friends and family who came out to support them throughout the championship.