Match play can set the stage for a marathon, and Ally Ewing lived it this week in Las Vegas. At the end of five days, Ewing had played seven matches and 122 holes, but she walked away from the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play with the second title of her LPGA career.
Ewing had to take on two major champions in the final two rounds to claim her trophy. She advanced past Ariya Jutanugarn, the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open champion, in the semifinals at Shadow Creek Golf Club on Sunday morning and then met Sophia Popov, the reigning AIG Women’s British Open champion, in the final match.
Ewing had the advantage the whole way in the final after going 1 up on the second hole when Popov made bogey. Perhaps the biggest moment of the day came when Ewing made a gagger for birdie from off the green at the 14th to go 2 up. She closed it out on No. 17.
What. A. Putt!
@allymc10 goes 2PU thru 14 with this birdie putt from off the green
Watch the final match now on @GolfChannel! pic.twitter.com/8FHFSlULEA
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 31, 2021
The match could be something of a Solheim Cup preview. Ewing already represented the U.S. in the 2019 matches, where she posted a 1-3-0 record.
With her win, Ewing earned $225,000. She also won the LPGA’s 2020 Drive On Championship at Reynolds Lake Oconee for her first career victory last fall.
After winning her match against Popov, Ewing’s husband Charlie Ewing met her on the green. To make things even sweeter, Sunday happened to be the couple’s first wedding anniversary. Charlie Ewing is the head women’s golf coach at their alma mater Mississippi State and Ally serves as a volunteer assistant coach, traveling with the team when she can.
Coincidentally, Jutanugarn and Shanshan Feng were scheduled to meet in a consolation match on Sunday afternoon opposite Popov and Ewing’s final. Feng conceded that match to Jutanugarn, citing the need to rest for next week’s U.S. Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
.@shanshanfengCHN has elected to concede the @LPGAMatchPlay consolation match against Ariya Jutanugarn this afternoon. In so doing, Jutanugarn finishes in third place and Feng in fourth.
“Next week is the @uswomensopen. I just want to be well-rested and protect myself.” pic.twitter.com/oSilsqlcXY
— LPGA Media (@LPGAMedia) May 30, 2021