Kim Hyo-joo, who missed the title after a three-putt on the 16th hole. [Photo=LPGA]
Kim Hyo-joo, who missed the title after a three-putt on the 16th hole. [Photo=LPGA]

Kim Hyo-joo finished runner-up at the LPGA Tour's FM Championship, which carried a purse of $4.4 million.

Playing the final round Monday (Korean Standard Time) at TPC Boston (par 72) in Norton, Massachusetts, Kim carded three birdies and two bogeys for a 1-under 71, finishing at 12-under 276 for the tournament. She fell two strokes short of Yin Ruoning of China, who closed with a 2-under round to claim the title.

The contest effectively became a two-player race between Kim and Yin. Tied for the lead heading into the par-3 16th hole, Kim three-putted for bogey and surrendered the top spot. Her misfortune continued on the 17th, where a birdie putt lipped out and she had to settle for par.

Needing a birdie on the par-5 18th to force a playoff, Kim drove into the left rough and then found a bunker with her second shot, finishing with a par. Yin birdied the same hole to seal a two-stroke victory.

Yin Ruoning smiles while holding the winner's trophy. [Photo=LPGA]
Yin Ruoning smiles while holding the winner's trophy. [Photo=LPGA]

The victory was Yin's sixth on tour, coming roughly one year and 10 months after her win at the 2024 Maybank Championship. She collected the winner's check of $660,000.

"The scores kept going up and down, so nobody knew who would win," Kim said after the round. "In the end, it was Yin, who made birdie on 18." Kim used 34 putts on the day.

Kim Sei-young, who had entered the final round tied for second alongside Kim Hyo-joo, dropped one stroke to finish at 10-under 278, tied for fourth. She had raced to the outright lead with three birdies through 11 holes, but gave back four strokes over holes 12 through 14 with a double bogey followed by two consecutive bogeys.

Ryu Hae-ran, the inaugural champion in 2024, shot a final-round 2-under 70 to finish at 8-under 280, tied for ninth alongside Lim Jin-hee and Lee So-mi.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States struggled to a 1-over 73 and finished the tournament at 1-over 289, tied for 50th.


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