Former Duke women's golf star Brittany Lang wins U.S. Women's Open

Head coach Dan Brooks has coached 24 All-Americans, but for the first time ever, one of his former players has captured a professional major.

Former two-time All-American Brittany Lang won the U.S. Women's Open at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, Calif., Sunday afternoon in a playoff to record her first major win. The 2004 National Freshman of the Year finished second at the U.S. Women's Open in 2005, but closed the deal 11 years later in a three-hole playoff.

Lang's opponent in the playoff, Anna Nordqvist, was assessed a two-stroke penalty on the second playoff hole, the 17th on the course, giving the former Duke standout a cushion heading to the third and final playoff hole. The McKinney, Texas, native made par on the final playoff hole to seal her second professional win after coming from behind to get into the playoff.

Lang trailed Lydia Ko by three strokes entering the final day Sunday but turned in a 1-under-par 71, highlighted by a long birdie putt on the 16th hole, to finish with a four-day total of 6-under-par. Ko shot 75 to drop out of contention, and Nordqvist joined Lang in the playoff by shooting a 5-under-par 67 Sunday. 

Lang sandwiched a second-round 75 with matching 4-under-par rounds of 68 Thursday and Saturday. She had a chance to win before the playoff after her birdie on the 16th, but suffered a bogey on the 17th en route to the extra holes. 

This year's event was Lang's 12th U.S. Open. She was an All-American in both of her collegiate seasons in 2004 and 2005, helping Duke to two ACC championships and the 2005 NCAA championship before turning pro.

Lang was not the only Blue Devil in action, as Duke junior Leona Maguire missed the cut with rounds of 74 and 75. It was Maguire's first U.S. Open appearance, as the Cavan, Ireland, native tries to fine-tune her game leading up to August's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro with a busy slate of summer events.