The South Korean Hyo-Joo Kim (-10), six-time winner on the LPGA, 14 times on the Korean LPGA and once on the Japanese LPGA, debuted this Sunday on her record in the Ladies European Tour. And she did it in the best possible way, in front of her audience, playing at home at the New Korea Country Club in Seoul, and in what was her first appearance in the Aramco Team Series. A practically uncontested victory that only experienced a moment of doubt on Saturday afternoon.
Just before the game had to be suspended due to heavy rain, the Colombian Mariajo Uribe (-5) holed a sensational chip for eagle that surpassed the South Korean in the individual general. But this Sunday, from the very early morning, Kim quickly put things back in their place. With three birdies and a bogey in the eight holes she left pending yesterday she regained the lead, and in the last 18, she barely gave her rivals a chance.
Joy for Hyo-Joo Kim on home soil 🏆🇰🇷#RaiseOurGame | #SEETheImpact pic.twitter.com/vjg1QRyaqM
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) May 12, 2024
Two birdies at the par five of hole 5 and the par three of 7 gave her a comfortable lead before facing the last nine flags of the tournament. And when Charley Hull (-7) tried to push from behind to add excitement to the tournament’s outcome, the South Korean once again showed her best golf to make birdies on the par fours of 14 and 16 and one more on the par five of 17. Her bogey on 18 had no significance as with 68 strokes, she achieved victory with a three-stroke margin.
Uribe, the third member of the star match along with the winner and the Englishwoman, soon lost the option to turn the end of this event into a one-on-one. She even ended up sharing third place with the South African Casandra Alexander (-5). As for the Spaniards, sensational final round for Luna Sobrón (+2), who had to suffer early to get the birdie she needed to make the cut, but signed the best round of the third round, tied with Alexander’s.
A 67 with seven birdies and two bogeys that catapulted her to the tied 12th position of the individual general, ahead of Maria Hernandez (+5), who finished tied 27th, and Marta Martín (+6), tied 37th. Great reaction this Sunday from the Balearic golfer to brush the top 10 in these Aramco Team Series in South Korea that have had Hyo-Joo Kim acting as a prophet in her land.
