PHOENIX — Kim Hyo-joo defeated Nelly Korda for the second straight week, pulling away close to the flip Sunday and shutting with a 3-under 69 for a two-shot victory on the Ford Championship.
Kim was poised to interrupt the LPGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring file till one mistake on the eighth gap led to a double bogey and gave Korda hope.
Korda, who had a four-shot lead at first of the ultimate spherical, abruptly discovered himself with a one-shot lead. Nonetheless, the American missed a brief par putt on the ninth gap, adopted by a profitable two-shot swing on the tenth. Kim moved her method to 18 inches for birdie, whereas Korda missed an up-and-down and earned par.
Korda by no means let the event get too far out of his attain, posting a 67 for eagle birdie.
Kim, who additionally received final 12 months’s Ford Championship, achieved back-to-back wins for the primary time in his profession in opposition to Korda. Finally week’s Founders Cup, the 30-year-old Korean held off Korda’s cost on Sunday.
Coach Kim talked about Korda’s 5 consecutive wins as a starter within the 2024 season, and stated with amusing, “I wished to ask Nellie the way it feels to win consecutive video games.”
Kim completed with 28 beneath 260. There was every week when she had three early birdies and two rounds of 61, and appeared like she was going to interrupt the LPGA scoring file of 257, set by Sei-young Kim on the 2017 Thornberry Creek LPGA Basic.
These hopes have been dashed when Kim pulled her tee shot on the par-4 eighth gap. She tried to punch the hybrid beneath a tree department, however the automobile ran scorching on the sunlit fairways and tough greens and would not cease rolling till it went downhill and into the desert scrub.
That led to a double bogey. Kim missed two 5-foot birdie alternatives and had a three-putt bogey on the sixteenth.
Nonetheless, Korda had a placing downside, and he missed a 2-foot par putt on the fifteenth, his second quick miss of the spherical, and the match was nearly over.
“The place did I’m going unsuitable? There’s a couple of photographs right here and there that I would prefer to get again, just some putts all through the week,” Korda stated. “I will miss quite a lot of putts all through my profession, however I can not get down on myself.”
Korda has performed in three LPGA occasions this 12 months, ending first and second twice. This was the bottom beneath par (26 beneath) of her LPGA profession. She simply met one of many hottest gamers in ladies’s golf.
“I am carried out enjoying along with her,” Korda joked.
It was the fifth consecutive time that the 2 gamers have been in the identical group, and Korda stored an in depth eye on Kim’s notable performs, particularly her putts.
“Hyo-joo has been enjoying nice golf,” Korda stated. “She’s an exceptional participant and particular person. She undoubtedly motivates me on the golf course.”
Japan’s Minami Katsu shot a 65 to take sole third place. Lydia Ko, who began the event with a 60, completed in fourth place, eight strokes behind.
