Victory Lifts Weight off Kim's Shoulders

The Colony, Texas: Korean Kim Hyo-joo chalked up her sixth LPGA Tour title with a dominating wire-to-wire victory at The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America.

One of only two players to shoot all four rounds under-par at Old American Golf Club, Kim secured a four-stroke triumph with a closing 69, finishing 13-under-par overall.

The US$270,000 winner’s cheque put her over the US$2 million mark in single season earnings for the first time in her career.

Kim, who led Korea to victory in three successive Queen Sirikit Cups (2010, 2011 and 2012), twice winning low individual honours, said: “My results this year weren’t bad, but there was some disappointment because I didn’t have a win. I had a lot of time to think just for myself, and before this year passed I really wanted to win.

“This week I was able to accomplish that. It was a really happy week for me. I feel like there is a weight off my shoulders,” added the 28-year-old.

Thai Atthaya Thitikul and Filipina Bianca Pagdanganan – two other Queen Sirikit Cup contestants – both shot closing 65s to move into joint second place, their best finishes of the season and the best of Pagdanganan’s career.

For Atthaya, winner of the inaugural Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) in 2018, it was her 10th top-10 finish of 2023, the most of any player on the LPGA Tour this season.

For Pagdanganan, it was her second top-five finish in a row following a tied third result at last week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. The strong back-to-back finishes are significant results for the 25-year-old, as she fought to keep her LPGA Tour status earlier in the season and is now setting her sights on earning a spot in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

“It’s funny because it started off with conditional status. I just needed to get back in the reshuffle. It’s a step-by-step process for me. After last week I was in a good position,” said Pagdanganan, who broke par in all four rounds.

“I actually didn’t play a lot of events this year because of my status, and with that comes a lot of pressure. It feels really good to see that all the time that I’m putting in is paying off,” she added.

Australian Sarah Kemp also earned her best finish of the year, a solo fourth result on eight-under-par after nailing birdies on her last two holes for a closing 69.

The LPGA Tour now travels to China for the start of a four-week Asian swing, before heading back to the United States for the final two events of the regular season.