The 2007 Women’s Open champ failed to produce anything similar to the three workmanlike rounds that gave her the only under par round through the first three days and a two-stroke lead over Ji heading into the final round.

She had a bogey on the first hole, and had a birdie at the third to get back to 2-under, Kerr had back-to-back bogeys at the fifth and sixth. She dropped into black number for the first time in the championship with a bogey at the 13th.

Her troubles continued down the stretch as she rolled a birdie putt past the hole at the 16th and missed the comebacker, settling for a bogey that dropped her to 2-over. She failed to make lengthy birdie putts at the 17th and 18th.

“Not playing the way I did the last three days, this golf course is pretty much all I can handle, and I just didn’t play as well,” Kerr said.

Brittany Lincicome, who made an eagle putt on the 72nd hole earlier this year to win the Kraft Nabisco, placed fifth after a 1-under 70 left her at 3-over 287.

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa posted a final round 1-over 72, tying for 26th at 9-over 293 and failing in her bid to claim her first Women’s Open.

Futures Tour player Jean Reynolds was in the next-to-last pairing, poised to make a run. But she stumbled in the final round, shooting 6-over 77 for an 8-over 292.

Video   U.S. Women's Open Day 4 wrap up: Part 3 July 12: Bill Patrick, Brian Crowell and Jennifer Mills discuss where the best players go from here. NBC Sports

Jennifer Song was the low amateur, finishing at 7-over 291 after a closing 72.

Ji’s dramatic victory provided a respite from the lingering dispute between LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens and more than a dozen top tour players who signed a letter calling for her resignation.

The championship was overshadowed by the news most of the week, and the situation seems to be coming to a head.

LPGA Tour veteran Juli Inkster, who is on the tour’s Board of Directors, said Sunday she expects a resolution sometime this week and that the board will search for an interim replacement before eventually hiring a new commissioner.

The New York Times, citing a source, has reported that Bivens has decided to step down after the Open. Golf Digest had previously reported that Bivens would be replaced, as soon as this week, and cited sources who said the letter from the players was the final blow.

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