South Korea’s Kim A-lim resisted top-ranked Nelly Korda over Sunday’s last openings to finish a wire-to-wire success at the season-opening LPGA Tournament of Champions.
Kim, the 2020 United States Women’s Open champ, terminated a five-under-par 67 to complete on 20-under 268 after 72 openings at Lake Nona in Orlando.
Kim recorded her 3rd job LPGA title and 2nd in 3 months following her success at the Lotte Championship last November, holding her nerve as Korda billed.
“Today it was not my focus. I don’t care,” Kim stated of Korda’s stress as she started her 2025 project.
“Good start but that’s all. I’m going to focus on the next tournament and then focus again on my game.”
Korda, that won 7 LPGA titles in 2024, fired 65 to complete 2 adrift on 270, the 26-year-old United States child of 1998 Australian Open tennis champ Petr Korda losing out on her 16th job LPGA title.
“Not bad,” Korda stated. “I’m never going to complain with finishing second in a tournament and giving it a run, especially 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 at the par-5 15th to get hold of a share of the lead with Kim, that in the following team touched in for her very own birdie at 15 to recover the solo lead at 18-under.
Kim sank a 12-foot birdie putt at 16 with a hand pump to confiscate a two-shot side.
Korda birdied the 18th to draw within one yet Kim do with a grow, sinking an 18-foot birdie putt at the last opening to secure success, pumping her left hand in pleasure.
Sweden’s Linn Grant was 3rd on 273 while Australian Minjee Lee terminated an event document 10-under 62, likewise her career-low LPGA round, to complete on 274 and share 4th with South Korea’s Ko Jin- young.
Kim, 29, started the day with a three-stroke lead yet stumbled early with a bogey at the 3rd opening. She reacted with birdies at 4 and 5 and 2 even more at the par-5 nine and 11th openings to get to 18-under and lead by 3 shots.
But Kim missed out on a four-foot the same level putt to make bogey at the 12th and secs later on Korda sank an eight-foot birdie putt at 13 to draw within a stroke, establishing the stressful last stretch.
Korda had actually maintained the stress on Kim, addressing a bogey at the 3rd with birdies on the following 3 openings and adhering to a bogey at 8 with birdies on 9 and 11.
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