By John Salvado
Ice-cool Australian rookie Grace Kim has closed with three straight birdies to claim a dramatic maiden LPGA tour victory in a sudden-death play-off at the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii.
The 22-year-old birdied the final two holes of regulation to sign for a four-under 68, moving her to 12-under 276 and into a play-off with China’s Yu Liu and South Korean Yu Jin Sung, both of whom were also chasing their first LPGA win.
Grace Kim took just three tournaments to break through on the LPGA Tour.Credit: Getty
Kim hit a 3-wood off the deck to the fringe of the par-5 18th green on the first play-off hole and then got up and up and down for birdie as the other two challengers stumbled.
“Just the birdie on 17 was the big momentum changer,” said Kim.
“I’m just kind of speechless right now.
“I will let you know that my second shot on that play-off hole, that wasn’t intentional (to take such an aggressive line to the right of the flag) and I kind of got lucky there.
Kim finished with three straight birdies to take out the LOTTE Championship.Credit: Getty
“I guess it was a good day after all.”
The victory came in only Kim’s third start on the LPGA Tour since gaining her full card.
It will be a huge confidence boost for the Australian ahead of next week’s first major of the year, the Chevron Championship in Texas.
Kim, who finished fifth on the secondary Epson Tour in the US last year to earn her 2023 LPGA card, is a four-time recipient of the Karrie Webb scholarship and was quick to again pay tribute to the seven-time major champion after this breakthrough win.
“She has already helped me out so much from my elite amateur days,” said Kim, the 12th Australian to salute on the LPGA Tour.
“This win is definitely a credit to her.”
Kim pocketed a winner’s cheque of $300,000 ($A447,000) and moved up 103 places to ninth in the Race to the CME Globe.
Peiyun Chien from Taiwan and Swede Linnea Strom tied for fifth at 277.
Karis Davidson was the next best-placed Australian at Ewa Beach on Saturday (Sunday AEST), finishing strongly with a 69 to move up to a tie for 19th at three-under 285. Sarah Kemp (72) and Steph Kyriacou (73) were tied for 38th at 288 and Su Oh was three shots further back.
AAP
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