Hyo Joo Kim holds off Nelly Korda to win LPGA Founders Cup title
Hyo Joo Kim secured a wire-to-wire victory at the LPGA Founders Cup on Sunday, holding off a fierce challenge from Nelly Korda at Sharon Heights to win by a single stroke.
The 30-year-old carded a closing one-over-par 73 to finish the tournament in California at 16 under par.
Despite seeing her initial five-stroke advantage wiped out after just 10 holes, the South Korean showed remarkable resilience to regain the lead.
“I don’t think I was necessarily shaken up or my emotions were all over the place,” Kim said through an interpreter.
“I was just trying to keep my focus on my shots and what I was doing.”
Korda falls short after late miss
American star Korda mounted a phenomenal comeback on the front nine, carding six birdies in an eight-hole stretch to tie the lead.
However, the momentum shifted decisively on the par-three 17th hole.
While Kim executed a brilliant flop shot from deep rough to save par, her playing partner missed a crucial three-foot putt to card a costly bogey.
“Obviously, something like 17 stings, so it is what it is,” Korda reflected.
“It’s golf. It’s a quick turnaround. There is next week. So, just going to take all the positives.”
A second Founders crown for Kim
The dramatic finale handed the eight-time LPGA Tour winner a two-shot cushion heading down the 18th hole.
That buffer allowed her the luxury of a closing bogey to safely seal the title.
This triumph marks her first victory since claiming the Ford Championship exactly a year ago.
It is also her second Founders Cup crown, having previously won the event when it was staged in Phoenix in 2015.
World number one finishes outside top 10
Elsewhere on the leaderboard, Sei Young Kim and Jin Hee Im shared third place at 11 under par.
Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul finished further back in a tie for 14th after a closing 73.
The Founders Cup tournament began in Arizona in 2011 as a tribute to the 13 original founders of the LPGA.
