South Korea’s A Lim Kim, a serious champion, clinched her first LPGA title as a tour member on the Lotte Championship. The 2020 U.S. Ladies’s Open winner narrowly edged Russia’s Nataliya Guseva by two strokes in her a hundredth begin since claiming a serious title. The victory vaults Kim into subject for the CME Group Tour Championship.
“The whole lot is getting higher,” mentioned a smiling Kim, who felt snug in Hawaii. The participant who goes by the nickname “Queen” was a very good sport with the normal hula dance, too.
The 29-year-old Kim posted three top-10 finishes this season in 25 begins earlier than breaking by way of on Oahu. She closed with a 4-under 68 for an 18-under whole and managed to hold on regardless of Guseva’s tenacious play. The primary Russian to earn an LPGA card shot 34 on the again 9 to card a closing 69.
“I actually did my finest on the market,” mentioned Guseva, “I by no means gave up.”
After enjoying 5 weeks in a row, Guseva will take of subsequent week earlier than heading to Naples, Florida, for the ultimate occasion of the season.
Nataliya Guseva performs her shot from the third tee through the ultimate spherical of the LOTTE Championship introduced by Hoakalei 2024 at Hoakalei Nation Membership on November 09, 2024 in Ewa Seaside, Hawaii. (Picture by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs)
Rookie Auston Kim completed a career-best third place to tremendously enhance her probabilities of qualifying for the CME Group Tour Championship. The highest 60 gamers within the CME factors race qualify for the season-ending occasion, which includes a winner’s test of $4 million. Kim moved as much as sixty fourth.
“It’s been an extended 12 months, quite a lot of good classes and hard moments,” mentioned Kim, “however actually pleased with myself for bouncing again after the powerful weeks and having the ability to play some actually strong golf.”
For Angela Stanford, it was a stroll to recollect because the 46-year-old performed her final spherical in her ultimate season on the LPGA. The seven-time LPGA winner, who has performed full time on tour for twenty-four years, completed along with her head held excessive.
“I mentioned going into at the moment I needed to be me,” mentioned Stanford, who completed tied for twenty sixth. “I needed to play my sport. I hit each inexperienced on the again 9. All through my profession my iron play was what I relied on, in order that sort of made me get teary-eyed, as a result of it’s superior to play the final 9 holes and hit each inexperienced. Simply sort of felt like me, so it was good.”
