THE COLONY, Texas — Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea began with a five-shot supremacy and didn’t give any person a lot of a anticipation Sunday, endmost with a 2-under 69 to win The Ascendant LPGA by way of 4 pictures.
It used to be the second one immediately hour for a wire-to-wire winner at the LPGA Excursion, following Hae Ran Ryu within the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
Bianca Pagdanganan, the bulky hitter from the Philippines, closed with a 65 to attach for 2nd with Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand, who additionally shot a 65.
“A five-shot lead feels like a comforting lead, but I did my best to just keep that edge until the end,” Kim mentioned.
Lexi Thompson may most effective lead a 70 in her ultimate discovered at the LPGA Excursion ahead of she checks her sport at the PGA Excursion in Las Vegas upcoming hour. She completed six pictures at the back of in 5th park and not severely challenged Kim.
Even so, Thompson mentioned she used to be proud of the advance. This used to be her 2nd immediately lead 10 nearest going all the season with out this type of end. Her ultimate LPGA victory used to be greater than 4 years in the past, even though she did win in a Saudi-funded match ultimate age at the Girls Ecu Excursion.
“Nothing but positives to take from it,” Thompson mentioned.
Requested what facets of her sport had to paintings for her within the Shriners Kids’s Discoverable, Thompson mentioned, “Everything, really.”
Thompson and Sarah Kemp of Australia have been the nearest to Kim going into the overall spherical. Kemp closed with a 69 and completed fourth.
This used to be the Kim display at Impaired American Golfing Membership. She exchanged birdies and bogeys at the entrance 9 and later picked up two birdies at the again to accumulation everybody at a distance.
She completed at 13-under 271 and earned $270,000, transferring her future $2 million for the age for the primary future in her occupation. Kim first earned an LPGA Excursion card when she received the Evian Championship for her most effective main. This used to be her 6th occupation LPGA victory, to advance in conjunction with 14 titles at the Korean LPGA. She now has received 3 immediately seasons at the LPGA.
“My results this year wasn’t bad, but there was some disappointment because I didn’t have a win,” Kim mentioned. “I had a lot of the time to think just for myself, and before this year passes I really want to win. This week I was able to accomplish that and it was just a really happy week for me.”
Pagdanganan made a overdue fee with a 30 at the again 9 to a minimum of have hope. Thitikul birdied 5 of her ultimate seven holes. However Kim didn’t buckle over the again 9.
“Just being in contention this week, it really means a lot to me,” Thitikul mentioned. “Obviously it boosts the confidence more and more.”
Katherine Muzi closed with a 68 in her LPGA Excursion debut as a Monday qualifier. She attach for 7th, 8 pictures at the back of. She received simply over $45,000.
“Now I’ll have some extra spending money on the side, and then I can use it to build my dream and then hopefully I can play some more tournaments, get better, and then play in some more LPGA tournaments,” Muzi mentioned.
