Sei Young Kim wins LPGA South Korea by 4 strokes to end 5-year drought

Audio By Carbonatix

HAENAM, South Korea (AP) — Decade-long LPGA Tour veteran Sei Young Kim carded a final round 67 to hold off any final round challengers as she claimed a four-stoke victory at the BMW Ladies Championship on Sunday.

It was Kim’s 13th career title since joining the tour in 2015, and ended a five-year long drought since her last tournament victory at the Women’s PGA Championship in 2020.

Kim, 32, finished with a four-round total of 24-under-264 at Pine Beach Golf Links on the Korean peninsula, with the South Korean only dropping a shot at the par-3 third before finding six birdies through the remainder of the round to comfortably hold her closest rival, Nasa Hataoka, at bay.

Hataoka of Japan also had a final round 67 to finish at 20-under 268, with Celine Boutier (67) and Kim A-lim (66) a further two shots back in a share for third place.

Defending champion Hannah Green shot 66 and finished at 17-under 271 in a share for fifth with Yealimi Noh (70) of the United States. Fellow American Lindy Duncan (65) was a shot further back in a three-way tie for seventh with South Korean pair Choi Hye-jin (63) and An Na-rin (63) who shared the lowest round of the day.

Jeeno Thitikul last week became the first multiple winner on the LPGA this season with a five-hole playoff win in Shanghai over Minami Katsu. Thitikul did not play this week but will be part of Thailand’s team in the International Crown next week.

After the International Crown, two more LPGA events are scheduled on the five-event Asian swing — at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and in Japan.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf