Kim Hyo-joo, a 28-year-old Korean golfer, is on the brink of a remarkable sixth win on the LPGA Tour. If she manages to secure victory, it would mark the second consecutive week that a Korean player has reached the pinnacle of the LPGA Tour stage.
In the third round of the Deerscendant LPGA LPGA Benefiting Volunteers of America, held at the Old American Golf Club in Colony, Texas, Kim delivered a solid performance. Despite the challenging conditions, including strong winds, she finished the round with a score of 1 under par 70, featuring four birdies and three bogeys.
With a total score of 11 under par 202, Kim Hyo-joo now holds a commanding lead over her nearest competitors, Sarah Kemp from Australia and Lexi Thompson from the United States, who trail her by five strokes.
Although she encountered some difficulties at the beginning, with bogeys on the 4th and 6th holes, Kim bounced back with a birdie on the 8th. She continued to trade birdies and bogeys throughout the round, ultimately finishing under par with consecutive birdies on holes 15 and 16.
If Kim Hyo-joo emerges victorious in this tournament, it will mark her sixth win on the LPGA Tour. Her last victory came more than a year and a half ago at the Lotte Championship in April 2020.
Moreover, a win for Kim would mean back-to-back victories for Korean players, following Hae-red Yoo’s triumph last week on the LPGA Tour. The last time Korean players achieved this feat was in October 2021 when Ko Jin-young won the BMW Women’s Championship after the Founders Cup.
The last time two Korean players won in consecutive weeks was back in February 2020, with Park Hee-young’s victory at the ISPS Handa Grand Open followed by Park Inbee’s triumph at the ISPS Handa Australian Women’s Open.
Reflecting on her performance, Kim Hyo-joo acknowledged the challenging weather conditions but noted that other players seemed to be facing the same difficulties. She remained focused on capitalizing on birdie opportunities and expressed hope of maintaining momentum in the upcoming rounds.
Similar to Yoo Hae-ran’s wire-to-wire win last week, Kim Hyo-joo is also on track for a wire-to-wire victory. Although she hadn’t considered the possibility of winning two weeks in a row, the thought now weighs on her mind. Determined to satisfy herself and perform according to her own standards, Kim vowed to maintain focus until the end and strive for improvement.
In summary, Kim Hyo-joo’s dominance on the LPGA Tour puts her on the cusp of an incredible sixth win. Her potential victory would not only solidify her own status but also continue the Korean players’ impressive streak on the tour. As she looks ahead to the final rounds, Kim remains focused on showcasing her skills and achieving success.
Kim Hyo-joo (28) is on the verge of her sixth win on the LPGA Tour. If Kim Hyo-joo wins, a Korean player will reach the top of the LPGA Tour stage for two consecutive weeks.
Hyo-joo Kim played in the third round of the Deerscendant LPGA LPGA Benefiting Volunteers of America (total prize money of $1.8 million) held at the Old American Golf Club (par 71) in Colony, Texas, on the 8th (Korea time). He shot 1 under par 70 with 4 birdies and 3 bogeys.
Kim Hyo-joo, who recorded an intermediate total of 11 under par 202 strokes, retained the sole lead. She ran away with a 5 stroke lead over Sarah Kemp (Australia) and Lexi Thompson (USA), who took second place.
The match had a difficult start, with bogeys on the 4th hole (par 4) and 6th hole (par 5) due to the strong wind at the beginning, but I birdied the 8th hole (par 4). Kim Hyo-joo, who traded birdies and bogeys at the 13th hole (par 5) and 14th hole (par 4), added consecutive birdies at holes 15 and 16 to finish under par.
If Kim Hyo-joo wins this time, she will record her sixth win on the LPGA Tour. It is about a year and 6 months since he won the Lotte Championship in April last year.
Also, if Kim Hyo-joo lifts the championship trophy following Hae-red Yoo’s (22) victory on the LPGA Tour last week, a Korean player could win for two weeks in a row. The last time a Korean player won for two consecutive weeks was in October 2021. At that time, Ko Jin-young (28) won the BMW Women’s Championship following the Founders Cup.
It goes back to February 2020 when the two players combined to win two weeks in a row. Following Park Hee-young’s victory at the ISPS Handa Grand Open, Park Inbee reached the top of the ISPS Handa Australian Women’s Open.
Kim Hyo-joo said, “Today was much colder and windy than the last two days, so I made a mistake. But looking at the leaderboard, it seems that other players are having the same difficulties as me. “I did my best to birdie a hole where I had a chance to make birdie,” he said.
He continued, “I didn’t get off to a good start with two bogeys in the first half, but I tried not to look too much at the leaderboard. I focused on creating birdie opportunities and completing them. “I hope we can continue the momentum in the second half tomorrow,” he added.
Following Yoo Hae-ran’s wire-to-wire win last week, Kim Hyo-joo also won the wire-to-wire match, and the Korean player is expected to win for the second week in a row. Kim Hyo-joo said, “I hadn’t even thought about that, but I think the thought of winning tomorrow will come to mind more. I will do my best to satisfy myself and do it the way I want. “I have to do better than today and I will not lose focus until the end,” he promised.
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