Yamashita wins; Park Sung-hyun ties for 14th

Kim vows to chase one more win before season ends

Kim Hyo-joo reads the green during the final round of the Ladies European Tour Aramco Korea Championship at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday. [Yonhap]
Kim Hyo-joo reads the green during the final round of the Ladies European Tour Aramco Korea Championship at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday. [Yonhap]

Kim Hyo-joo fell short of a third consecutive title at the Ladies European Tour Aramco Korea Championship, which carried a $2 million purse.

Kim carded seven birdies and one bogey for a 6-under-par 66 in the final round Sunday at New Korea Country Club (par 72) in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. She finished at 13-under 275, tying for seventh alongside Liu Ruixin of China.

Kim won the inaugural edition in 2024 and defended her title last year. She climbed the leaderboard with six strokes shaved on the final day, but a three-peat was not to be.

Starting the day in a tie for 13th, six strokes off the lead, Kim trimmed three shots on the front nine, including back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes. She added four more birdies on the back nine before dropping her only bogey of the day on the par-4 18th.

"Many people wanted to see me win three in a row, and I'm sorry I couldn't deliver that," Kim said after her round. "But today I finally felt like I was playing real golf. I'm finishing on a good note, so I'm positive about it."

Kim, who has won twice each on the LPGA Tour and the KLPGA Tour this season, said she has long promised one more victory before the year is out. She named the LPGA Tour BMW Ladies Championship, to be held in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, in two weeks as her next target.

Yamashita Miyu of Japan kisses the trophy after winning the Ladies European Tour Aramco Korea Championship at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday. [Yonhap]
Yamashita Miyu of Japan kisses the trophy after winning the Ladies European Tour Aramco Korea Championship at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday. [Yonhap]

Yamashita Miyu of Japan claimed the title with a tournament-total 22-under 266, firing a course-record 9-under 63 in the final round — highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 17th — to pull three strokes clear of Sara Kouskova of the Czech Republic, who finished at 19-under 269.

Yamashita, who won the AIG Women's Open major last year, claimed her second LET title and took home $300,000 in prize money.

Former world No. 1 Park Sung-hyun shot a 3-under final round to finish in a tie for 14th at 10-under 278. "I had a lot of good shots, but the putter stopped listening to me from yesterday," Park said. "Still, I think I played well all four days."

Park will tee it up next week at the KLPGA Tour Iceberg-Seoul Shinmun Open.

Tseng Ya-ni of Taiwan finished fourth at 16-under 272.


yjc@heraldcorp.com