EWA BEACH, Hawaii — Hyo Joo Kim staved off a late cost from Hinako Shibuno to win the LPGA Tour’s LOTTE Championship on Saturday.
Kim closed with a 1-under 71 — following a bogey on the par-4 seventeenth with a tap-in birdie on the par-5 18th — to complete at 11-under 277, two photographs away from Shibuno at breezy Hoakalei Nation Membership.
Kim earned $300,000 for her fifth LPGA Tour title.
“There have been a whole lot of expectations but in addition a whole lot of help coming from family and friends as effectively,” mentioned Kim, who gained a serious at age 19 within the 2014 Evian Championship. “There have been ups and downs and I feel I’m on the up half proper now and I really feel very proud, somewhat assured in regards to the future and the outlook appears to be like brilliant for me and I really feel like I can do higher shifting ahead.”
The 26-year previous South Korean star had a three-stroke lead after each the second and third rounds and held off a final-round push from Shibuno, the Japanese participant who a bogey-free 70.
Kim performed the entrance 9 in 1 below. She put her method on the par-5 fifth gap, which performed at 540 yards, inside of three toes to to arrange a birdie. She birdied No. 8, however bogeyed the par-3 ninth gap that went from a third-round yardage of 146 yards to 184 for the final spherical.
Kim birdied No. 18 after a little bit of drama. She missed the golf green along with her tee shot and located the fitting tough. Her second shot crossed the golf green and nestled into the primary minimize of the left tough. Together with her third, nonetheless, Kim recovered with a pitch shot that left her with a tap-in,
Kim is one among 10 gamers who’ve performed in all 10 LOTTE Championships because the match debuted in 2012.
“I’ve been enjoying within the LOTTE Championship because the inaugural championship after which as a result of LOTTE is my private sponsor I all the time needed to win and do effectively,” she mentioned.
Shibuno left herself with simply over 200 yards to the entrance of the inexperienced along with her second shot on 18, however her ball hit the lip of a greenside bunker and fell again in. She went on to par the opening.
“I used to be having very enjoyable enjoying along with her. My placing was somewhat, you recognize, could not go in, in order that was the (distinction) along with her,” Shibuno mentioned.
Hye-Jin Choi was third at 7 below after a 69.
Brianna Do, who performed within the ultimate group alongside Kim and Shibuno, began the spherical three strokes again of the lead, however struggled with a 77 and tied for twelfth. Do was searching for to turn out to be simply the third native qualifier to win an LPGA Tour occasion and the primary since Brooke Henderson within the 2015 Portland Traditional.
