Lookback: It's Been 15 Years Since Paula Creamer's U.S. Open Win

As the USGA awaits to crown a new U.S. Women's Open champion on Sunday at Erin Hills, let's take a stroll down memory lane, remembering a decade and a half ago when the young, charismatic golfer who almost always wore pink, sank a four-footer to capture the biggest win of her career.

Paula Creamer reacts after winning during the 2010 U.S. Women's Open at Oakmont Country Club on July 11, 2010 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Before her U.S. Open win, Paula Creamer was coming off an extensive absence from competition due to a thumb injury. In both 2008 and 2009, Creamer had found herself in contention for the title, and finally on July 11, 2010 she was able to fulfill her lifelong goal of winning the U.S. Women’s Open at none other than the historic Oakmont Country Club—where the men will play in two weeks time.

She told the USGA in a 2011 article, "I try to relive the winning moment every day—it’s one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever had. Not relief or anything like that. There was just so much excitement, because I’ve wanted it for so long. The fact that I did it, and I earned it. I played great. I had goose bumps, and of course I cried because I was so happy. After overcoming so much in the months leading to it, there was so much emotion built up."

It remains her most formidable accomplishment of her playing career, and solidified her position as a top American golfer of her generation. Creamer's golf class, consisting of Michelle Wie West, Brittany Lincicome, Christie Kerr, and Natalie Gulbis to name a few, entered the pro scene at the heart of the Annika Sorenstam domination era into Lorena Ochoa's prime—and the beginning of the remarkable career of In Bee Park.

Needless to say, a win of this magnitude was hard fought, even if she was healthy. It was feat that changed it all for Creamer. She was only 23 at the time, battling with an injury that plagued her competitive mindset, often thinking if she could ever play at the highest level with the same intensity again.

She missed the cut the week prior, a slight setback that fortuitously offered extra preparation time. But when she drove down to Oakmont, the Sunday before the championship, Creamer recalls shanking almost everything.

“I’m looking at them [her dad and caddie] like, What am I going to do? I’m about to play the hardest golf course in the world. And yet I can’t even hit a 7-iron straight right now,' she told the Golf Channel.

Ultimately her team got her to focus on one swing thought—shortening her swing. Why that thought? Creamer never fully explained, but it was all rooted in her team wanting her to limit her mental spiral. That was the game plan they landed on it, and they were going to stick to it.

And it paid off. Creamer was the only golfer to finish under par on the demanding par-71 layout with a 72-hole total of 3-under 281. She took home the trophy four strokes ahead of runners-up Na Yeon Choi and Suzann Pettersen.

Upon winning, Creamer had one of the purest reactions a player could have: dropping her putter, her hands covering her mouth in shock (sprinkled with a touch of relief), grinning from ear to ear.

Paula Creamer (C) is kissed by her mom Karen (L) and her father Paul as the celebrate with the trophy after her four-stroke victory at the 2010 U.S. Women's Open at Oakmont Country Club on July 11, 2010 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

This championship is the most coveted in women's golf. It's the oldest, longest standing tournament in women's golf. Champions of the U.S. Open are often considered some of the greats of the game—it's one of those titles that means a little more, even if players won't say it.

The Pink Panther left her mark on the USWO, and a testament that every player should consider a signature color. And her greatest fashion tip? Accessories. Creamer's law states: the better you dress, the better you feel, the better you play.