Lim Kim Secures Victory at Lotte Championship

Honolulu, Hawaii

Lim Kim celebrated her second LPGA Tour title by clinching the Lotte Championship on Saturday, finishing the tournament with an impressive 4-under 68. This victory came at Hoakalei Country Club, where she edged out her playing partner, Nataliya Guseva, by two strokes.

Having started the day one stroke ahead of Guseva, Kim broke a six-hole stretch without a birdie by sinking one on the par-5 18th hole. The 29-year-old South Korean golfer’s performance propelled her from 65th to 22nd place in the Race to CME Globe standings, ensuring her participation in the season-ending event featuring a grand prize of $4 million for the champion. Notably, Kim also triumphed in the U.S. Women’s Open back in December 2020.

Guseva, a promising 21-year-old athlete who played for Miami, sought to make history by becoming the first Russian to win an LPGA Tour event. She concluded her round with a par on the final five holes but recorded a solid score of 69.

Kim completed the tournament with a total score of 18-under 270. Following her were Auston Kim, who finished third at 15-under with a score of 67, and Nasa Hataoka, also at 14-under after a 67. Additionally, fellow Japanese competitor Yuri Yoshida turned in a 69 and Ryann O’Toole a 70, both ending the tournament at 13-under.

Angela Stanford wrapped up her round with a 71, tying for 26th place at 5-under. This could potentially mark the end of her LPGA Tour career, as the 46-year-old Texas native has an impressive record of seven tour victories. Reflecting on her experience, Stanford shared her emotions, stating, “I really didn’t get emotional until I was looking at my scorecard. I said going into today I wanted to be me, I wanted to play my game. I hit every green on the back nine. Throughout my career, my iron play was what I relied on, so that kind of made me get teary-eyed.”