Menlo Park, California – Hyo Joo Kim stopped Nelly Korda to complete a wire-to-wire victory at the Fortinet Founders Cup on Sunday in Sharon Heights.
With her early five-stroke lead gone after 10 holes, Kim regained the lead on the next hole and won by a one-shot margin after a closing bogey.
“I don’t think I was necessarily shaken 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.”
Kim scored 1 over 73 and made a total score of 16 under 272. The 30-year-old South Korean player had also won the event held in Phoenix in 2015. She has eight LPGA Tour titles along with 14 KLPGA Tour wins.
Korda missed a short par putt at No. 17 and closed with a 69. The Americans won the season opener in Florida, then dropped the Asia swing.
“Apparently, there’s something like 17 stings, so that’s what it is,” Korda said. “It’s golf. It’s a quick turnaround. It’s next week. So, just going to take all the positives.”
Korda tied Kim with a bogey on No. 2, then birdied six of the next eight to take the lead. Kim bounced back with birdie on the par-4 11th, bogeyed Korda on the par-4 12th and took a two-stroke lead with birdie on the par-4 14th.
Kim gave a stroke back with a bogey on the par-4 16th, then hit a flop to 2 1/2 feet from deep rough to save par after hitting long on the par-3 17th. Korda three-putted for bogey on 17, missing a 3-footer, sending Kim to 18 with the two-shot advantage she needed.
“I think my two par saves on the back nine were probably the things I’m most proud of today,” Kim said. “Just because my shots weren’t going well.”
Kim won for the first time in a year after the Ford Championship in Phoenix, which begins Thursday at Whirlwind Golf Club. She made a fast start to the challenge at Sharon Heights, carding eagle on the eighth hole Thursday with a 63 that gave her a two-shot lead. He extended his lead to fourth Friday with a score of 70.
Kim said, “I enjoyed every day, but this course was very difficult.”
sei young kim (67) and Jin Hee Im (69) are tied for third at 11 under. Top-ranked Gino Thitikul is tied for 14th at 8 under after a 73.
The tournament began in Arizona in 2011 as a tribute to the 13 founders of the LPGA. Last year it was played in Florida.
