For the second time since joining the LPGA Tour in 2021, A Lim Kim has won a Tour Championship. Entering the final round with a one-stroke lead over eventual runner-up Nataliya Guseva at the LOTTE Championship, Kim emerged victorious with a comfortable two-stroke victory, shooting 18-under-par.
Kim seemed to be making birdie putts left and right, sinking them on six of her final eighteen holes. She also led the field, making 25 birdies throughout the week. Kim joins Sei Young Kim (2015) and Hyo Joo Kim (2022) as one of three Korean golfers to win the LOTTE Championship since the event came to the tour in 2012.
“On the course I feel like it’s more fun. It was super fun,” said Kim. “I haven’t felt this way in a long time so I just had a lot of fun.”
Runner-up Nataliya Guseva kept things close until the end, sinking five birdie putts in her final round. Guseva unfortunately fell two strokes short of victory after an aggressive final hole, but managed to tie her career-best finish on tour – 16-under-par. Guseva claimed her second runner-up finish this season, after tying for second at the Portland Classic back in August.
“I really did my best out there. I never gave up. Every hole like I gave just my 100% and more than that,” said Guseva. “So, you know, it was just keep fighting. I know I still get the win out there, we still have two more events. I’m skipping Pelican, but hopefully at CME I can also show a good result. I enjoyed it out there.”
Filling out the rest of the podium was American Auston Kim, who claimed a career-best finish, coming in third. A. Kim scored five birdie putts in her final round, with four coming within the first six holes, leading to a 14-under-par finish. The LPGA Tour rookie sits at No. 64 in the Race to CME Globe rankings as she gets closer to making her first appearance at the CME Group Tour Championship, needing to be ranked in the top 60 to qualify.
“It is what it is. It’s a fact. I can’t ignore the fact that I’ll be 64th. This week is probably the first week in a very long time where I’ve played golf with 100% belief in myself and my skills,” said A. Kim. “I mean, the result speaks for itself. I can’t control the result, but I could control the way that I played golf and the way that I spoke to myself, the way that I believed in myself. So I got a good thing going.”
Defending LOTTE Champion Grace Kim finished tied for 11th, shooting 9-under-par.
LPGA Tour action continues at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican in Belleair, Florida, on November 14th. WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark will also be in attendance, playing in Wednesday’s pro-am.
