South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim chalked up her sixth LPGA Tour title with a dominating wire-to-wire victory at The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America.
One of just two players to shoot all four rounds under-par at Old American Golf Club, Kim secured a four-stroke triumph with a closing 69, finishing 13-under-par overall. The US$270,000 winner’s cheque put her over the US$2 million mark in single season earnings for the first time in her career.
“My results this year weren’t bad, but there was some disappointment because I didn’t have a win. I had a lot of time to think just for myself, and before this year passed I really wanted to win,” Kim said.
“This week I was able to accomplish that and it was just a really happy week for me. I do feel like there is a weight off my shoulders,” added the 28-year-old.
Thai star Atthaya Thitikul and Filipina golfer Bianca Pagdanganan both shot superb 65s on Sunday to move up into joint second place, their best finishes of the season and the best of Pagdanganan’s career. The result was Thitikul’s tenth top-10 of the year, the most of any player on the LPGA Tour this season.
For Pagdanganan, this was her second top-five finish in a row following a T3 result at last week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. The strong back-to-back finishes are significant results for the 25-year-old, as she fought to keep her LPGA Tour status earlier in the season and is now fighting to earn a spot in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
“It’s just funny because it started off with conditional status. I just needed to get back in the reshuffle. It’s a step-by-step process for me, so after last week I was, okay, I’m in a good position. Let’s try to stay within the top 100,” said Pagdanganan, who broke par in all four rounds.
“I actually didn’t play a lot of events this year because of my status, and with that comes a lot of pressure. It feels really good to see that all the time that I’m putting in is paying off,” she added.
Australia’s Sarah Kemp also earned her best finish of the year, a solo fourth result on eight-under-par after nailing birdies on her last two holes for a closing 69. American star Lexi Thompson was sole fifth a shot back.
Cheyenne Knight, who is a member of Old American, tied her own 18-hole scoring record with an eight-under-par 63 final round to claim sixth place on six-under-par.
The LPGA Tour now travels to China for the start of a four-week Asian swing, before heading back to the United States for the final two events of the regular season.
Malaysian golf fans can catch the stars of the LPGA Tour in action this October 26-29 during the US$3 million Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. The field includes six Malaysians in Maybank’s ASEAN Ambassador Kelly Tan, 2023 Epson Tour Rookie of the Year Natasha Andrea Oon, Ashley Lau, Alyaa Abdulghany, and amateur talents Jeneath Wong and Ng Jing Xuen.
| Results (Top 5 and ties) | |||
| 271 | (-13) | Hyo Joo Kim (KOR) | 64-68-70-69 |
| 275 | (-9) | Bianca Pagdanganan (PHI) | 70-70-70-65 |
| Atthaya Thitikul (THA) | 70-69-71-65 | ||
| 276 | (-8) | Sarah Kemp (AUS) | 67-71-69-69 |
| 277 | (-7) | Lexi Thompson (USA) | 71-65-71-70 |
