Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea entered the final day of The Ascendant LPGA with a five-shot lead and maintained her dominance, finishing with a 2-under 69 to secure a four-shot victory.
This marked the second consecutive week of a wire-to-wire winner on the LPGA Tour, following Hae Ran Ryu’s victory in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
Bianca Pagdanganan, the powerful player from the Philippines, closed with an impressive 65 to share the second-place position with Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand, who also carded a 65.
“A five-shot lead feels comfortable, but I remained focused on maintaining that edge until the end,” remarked Kim.
Lexi Thompson, competing in her final LPGA Tour event before testing her skills on the PGA Tour in Las Vegas next week, managed a 70. She finished in fifth place, six shots behind Kim, and didn’t pose a serious threat.
Thompson expressed contentment with her progress, achieving her second consecutive top 10 finish after going the entire season without one. While her last LPGA victory dates back over four years, she did secure a win in a Saudi-funded event last year on the Ladies European Tour.
“I’m taking nothing but positives from it,” said Thompson.
When asked about the areas of her game she needed to work on for the Shriners Children’s Open, Thompson replied, “Honestly, everything.”
Lexi Thompson and Sarah Kemp of Australia were the closest pursuers to Kim heading into the final round. Kemp concluded with a 69, securing fourth place.
The stage at the Old American Golf Club was undoubtedly Kim’s show. She traded birdies and bogeys on the front nine but managed to secure two birdies on the back, maintaining her lead throughout.
Kim finished at 13-under 271 and earned $270,000, surpassing $2 million in earnings for the year for the first time in her career. Her initial LPGA Tour card was secured with a victory at the Evian Championship, her sole major title. This marked her sixth career LPGA victory, adding to her 14 titles on the Korean LPGA. Kim has now secured victories in three consecutive LPGA seasons.
Pagdanganan made a late surge with a back-nine score of 30, providing a glimmer of hope. Thitikul, on the other hand, birdied five of her last seven holes. However, Kim remained resolute over the back nine.
“It means a lot to be in contention this week,” Thitikul remarked. “It certainly boosts my confidence.”
Katherine Muzi, making her LPGA Tour debut as a Monday qualifier, closed with a 68. She tied for seventh, eight shots behind the leader, earning just over $45,000.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Sandiego Currents journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
