South Korea’s Kim A-lim resisted top-ranked Nelly Korda over Sunday’s final openings to complete a wire-to-wire success on the season-opening LPGA Tournament of Champions.
Kim, the 2020 United States Women’s Open champ, terminated a five-under-par 67 to finish on 20-under 268 after 72 openings at Lake Nona in Orlando.
Kim recorded her third job LPGA title and 2nd in 3 months following her success on the Lotte Championship final November, holding her nerve as Korda billed.
“Today it was not my focus. I don’t care,” Kim said of Korda’s stress as she began her 2025 undertaking.
“Good start but that’s all. I’m going to focus on the next tournament and then focus again on my game.”
Korda, that gained 7 LPGA titles in 2024, fired 65 to finish 2 adrift on 270, the 26-year-old United States youngster of 1998 Australian Open tennis champ Petr Korda dropping out on her sixteenth job LPGA title.
“Not bad,” Korda said. “I’m by no means going to complain with ending second in a event and giving it a run, particularly on a Sunday.
“Defintely a pair putts I wish to have back yet in general I assume I’m really delighted with this week and I’m ecstatic gone to following week.”
Korda made birdie on the par-5 fifteenth to pay money for a share of the lead with Kim, that within the following staff touched in for her very personal birdie at 15 to get well the solo lead at 18-under.
Kim sank a 12-foot birdie putt at 16 with a hand pump to confiscate a two-shot facet.
Korda birdied the 18th to attract inside one but Kim do with a develop, sinking an 18-foot birdie putt on the final opening to safe success, pumping her left hand in pleasure.
Sweden’s Linn Grant was third on 273 whereas Australian Minjee Lee terminated an occasion doc 10-under 62, likewise her career-low LPGA spherical, to finish on 274 and share 4th with South Korea’s Ko Jin- younger.
Kim, 29, began the day with a three-stroke lead but stumbled early with a bogey on the third opening. She reacted with birdies at 4 and 5 and a couple of much more on the par-5 9 and eleventh openings to get to 18-under and lead by 3 photographs.
But Kim missed out on a four-foot the identical degree putt to make bogey on the twelfth and secs afterward Korda sank an eight-foot birdie putt at 13 to attract inside a stroke, establishing the nerve-racking final stretch.
Korda had truly maintained the stress on Kim, addressing a bogey on the third with birdies on the next 3 openings and adhering to a bogey at 8 with birdies on 9 and 11.
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