HONOLULU — Youmin Hwang received the LOTTE Championship on Saturday for her first victory in an LPGA Tour occasion, making an enormous late cost to run the season-opening streak with out a repeat winner to 25 tournaments.
A Korean LPGA member within the discipline on a sponsor invite, Hwang birdied the ultimate 4 holes and 5 of the final six at breezy Hoakalei Nation Membership for a 5-under 67 and a one-shot victory over Hyo Joo Kim.
“Due to LOTTE’s help I may be right here and win,” Hwang mentioned.
As a nonmember of the LPGA Tour, the 22-year-old Hwang has the choice to simply accept rapid membership or defer to subsequent season. The 2-time KLPGA winner received in her sixth profession LPGA begin and fourth of the season — after making the weekend cuts within the main U.S. Girls’s Open, KPMG Girls’s PGA and Evian Championship.
Tied for the lead with Kim and Minami Katsu after her birdie on the par-4 seventeenth, Hwang received a break when Katsu and Kim every bogeyed the outlet within the group behind. On the par-5 18th, Hwang hit her second shot by way of the inexperienced into tough and chipped to a foot.
Hwang completed at 17-under 271. She shot a career-best 62 on Thursday to open a three-stroke lead then had a 75 on Friday to drop right into a tie for second — a shot behind Akie Iwai.
Kim birdied the 18th for a 68.
Katsu was third at 15 underneath after a 69.
Second-ranked Nelly Korda closed with a 69 to complete three again at 17 underneath with Peiyun Chien (70), Jessica Porvasnik (70) and Iwai (71). Coming off a seven-victory season, Korda hasn’t received this yr.
“General, I am placing myself into rivalry.” Korda mentioned. “It is undoubtedly an attention-grabbing yr for me result-wise, however on the finish of the day, I am giving it one hundred pc, controlling what I can management, and I am pleased with that.”
The LPGA Tour now heads to Asia for tournaments 5 straight weeks in Shanghai, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan.
