ORLANDO, Fla. – A Lim Kim responded to a late cost by Nelly Korda with three birdies on her remaining 4 holes for a 5-under 67 and a two-shot victory Sunday within the LPGA season opener on the Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions.
Korda, coming off her seven-win season, holed a 3-foot birdie putt on the par-5 fifteenth to tie for the lead. Kim was within the remaining group behind her and matched the birdie to regain the lead.
Kim seized management with a 20-foot birdie putt on the sixteenth for a two-shot lead, and she or he capped off her wire-to-wire win with a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th.
“So enjoyable, so good. After which I am hungry,” Kim stated when requested to explain how she was feeling.
Korda closed with a 65 at Lake Nona to begin her season with a runner-up end.
“Yeah, not dangerous,” Korda stated. “I’m by no means going to complain ending second in a event and giving it a run, particularly on a Sunday. There are positively a pair putts I want to have again, however total I feel I’m very pleased with this week and excited for subsequent week.”
Linn Grant of Sweden shot 69 and completed third, 5 photographs behind. Minjee Lee shot 62 and tied for fourth with Jin Younger Ko (65).
Kim, a 29-year-old South Korean greatest identified for her 2020 U.S. Girls’s Open title at Champions Golf Membership in Houston throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, now has three LPGA titles. This was her second straight win through which she by no means trailed after any spherical, having achieved the identical in Hawaii final yr.
She completed at 20-under 268 and received $300,000.
Korda and defending champion Lydia Ko began the ultimate spherical 4 photographs behind. Lydia Ko fell off the tempo early with three bogeys in her opening six holes, and she or he by no means challenged once more. She shot 70 and completed sixth.
Korda had 5 birdies and a pair of bogeys on the entrance 9 to peck away on the lead, and she or he lastly pulled even along with her quick birdie on the fifteenth — however solely briefly.
Kim was paying consideration, but additionally knew she was one group behind and had the par 5 in entrance of her.
“I watched her scoreboard — ooh, make birdie, wow — after which focus once more on my sport,” Kim stated, who added she was by no means overly involved. “I really feel actually good, after which nonetheless I’ve extra likelihood as a result of another gap.”
Within the movie star division, former NHL participant Joe Pavelski had 36 factors in Stableford scoring and received by 5 factors over Jeff McNeil of the New York Mets.
The LPGA Tour stays in Florida subsequent week for the Founders Cup at Bradenton Nation Membership, the place Korda received final yr when it was the Drive On Championship.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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