A Lim Kim drained a dramatic birdie putt on the final hole to ignite a fist-pumping, champagne popping celebration after holding off World No. 1 Nelly Korda to win the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando on Sunday. Kim won by two shots, so a birdie wasn’t necessary but it made for a spectacular finish.
Kim shot a five-under 67 and Korda a seven-under 65 to finish second. Korda briefly pulled into a tie with Kim on the back nine, but trailed by two at the 18th hole, where she holed a birdie putt to pull within one. But Kim had an answer for everything, and also birdied the 18th.
“Not bad,” Korda said. “I’m never going to complain about finishing second in a tournament and giving it a run, especially on a Sunday. There are definitely a couple putts I would like to have back, but overall I think I’m very happy with this week and excited for next week.”
Minjee Lee, meanwhile, shot a career-best 10-under 62 with a new long putter to tie for fourth, contributing to a blockbuster start to the LPGA’s 75th season.
After her victory, Kim had a playful response to winning the first tournament of the year.
“Honestly, so good, and I’m hungry,” she said.
Kim, who won the U.S. Women’s Open that was played in December of 2020 because of COVID, has earned a unique nickname, too: Queen Kong. But she only likes half of it.
“I wish to just be Queen,” Kim, 29, said with a laugh. “I don’t like that. Just Queen please.”
You can also just call her champion for the second consecutive year. She played this event by virtue of her win at the Lotte Championship. With Korda making a run up the leaderboard, Kim’s resolve and victory was that much more impressive as she earned a $300,000 check from a $2 million purse.
Asked if she was scoreboard watching when Korda made her run and pulled into a tie, Kim said: “I watch the scoreboard and [we] enjoy together who made birdie, and then focus on my game.”
Then when Korda, who was playing in the group in front of Kim, birdied the final hole, Kim was undeterred.
“I feel really good,” Kim said. “I have one more hole, so I have one more chance.”
This put the LPGA’s focus back on engaging personalities and great golf. It all played out in front of a nationally-televised audience on NBC, which surely was a relief after a turbulent offseason that saw commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan resign and a tour event—the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship— canceled due to non-payment by an underwriter.
Leave a Reply