Ewa Beach: South Korean golfer Kim A-lim has captured her second career LPGA Tour title. Kim won the Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, after shooting 18-under 270.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim carded a four-under 68 in the final round to hold off Nataliya Guseva of Russia by two strokes, marking her first victory since the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open, 1,426 days ago. Kim, who secured the winner’s check worth US$450,000, became the third South Korean player to win on the tour this year, joining Amy Yang and Ryu Hae-ran.
Kim entered the final round with a one-shot lead over Guseva at 14-under. She made a bogey on the second hole but rebounded with birdies on three of the next four holes to reach 16-under. A bogey on the eighth brought her to 15-under, while several players, including Nasa Hataoka of Japan, made a push.
Kim birdied the 10th hole to regain a two-stroke lead at 16-under but saw Hataoka close in with a birdie on the 13th, her sixth of the final round. Kim exten
ded her lead with a birdie on the 11th, celebrating with a fist pump after making the putt. She saved par on the par-3 12th after nearly holing her second shot on the fly.
Guseva stayed competitive, birdieing the 13th to reach 16-under, just one shot behind Kim. Hataoka also joined Guseva at 16-under with a long birdie putt on the 16th but faltered with a bogey on the 17th. Hataoka’s hopes faded as she found the water hazard on the par-5 18th.
Guseva made a challenging par save on the 17th to remain one behind Kim heading into the final hole. Kim narrowly missed the green on her second shot on the par-5 18th, while Guseva’s third shot went well off the green. Guseva nearly chipped in for birdie before settling for par, allowing Kim to sink her birdie putt and secure the title.
Kim reflected on her focus during the tournament, emphasizing her concentration on the process rather than the result. She described a bogey on the second hole as a pivotal moment that sharpened her game. Kim expressed enjoyment in t
he competition, noting the fun she had on the back nine.
With this win, Kim is projected to rise from No. 67 to within the top 25 in the Race to CME Globe standings, effectively securing a spot for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship starting November 21, which features the top-60 players.