Craziness at the KPMG Women's PGA: Rain delays, Nelly's major streak ends and a rising star caps a historic comeback

Haeran Ryu was so far back after Thursday’s first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship—10 shots with an opening 73—that she changed her putter in the middle of a major.Then, she made history.The 25-year-old South Korean thrived with her new (old) flat stick, methodically working her way back into contention on Friday (64) and Saturday (68) at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

Come Sunday, she was pumping her fist a plenty, one of four different leaders on a day that started ominously for the entire field.By late afternoon Ryu took the lead for good on the back nine. And after holing a one-footer for par and a two-shot victory on the 18th hole, she rejoiced with a smile and a laugh.

A two-under-par 70 gave her a 13-under 275 total and left her the second player in women’s golf to rally from 10 or more shots back after 18 holes to win a major (and the first since 1964).“It feels like a dream, and I cannot trust it right now. It felt like a dream and that's why I laughed a lot on the last hole,” Ryu said.

“And then a lot of players waiting for me next to the green and I saw the Amy [Yang] is there, so she's like, ‘Let's go, Haeran, with the two bottles of champagne.”After that first round, the 12th-ranked player in the world surely couldn’t have imagined hoisting the trophy and being doused with champagne; her win probability was just .2 percent.

And, surely, she wasn’t aware of what Carol Mann did at the 1964 Women’s Western Open. Mann started that major with an 83 in the first round at Scenic Hills C.C.

in Pensacola, Fla., 10 back of Ruth Jessen, only to go on and beat Jessen after 72 holes by … wait for it …

two shots.But Ryu, putting in a Scotty Cameron putter she had used when finishing second in the LPGA’s Cincinnati stop, shot the low round of the day Friday and then tied for the low round of the day. She led by one shot heading into the final round, the third time she led a major after 54 holes.

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