Despite Racing Ahead of Lexi Thompson and Charley Hull, HJ Kim Reveals Why the $270,000 Success Is Not Satisfactory

After she emerged victorious at the Ascendant Championship, Hyo Joo Kim has been the talk of town. The 28-year-old deserved a win after her consistent performance throughout this season and finally earned a title near the end of the season.

In the post-tournament conference, Kim was asked about her take on this win, and her season overall, she revealed what her goals were for this season, and considering she didn’t achieve them all, she was disappointed. What were her goals for this season? 

The one missing item from the mix

The question focused on how Kim wanted the season to end. It touched upon her feelings about missing out on the Vare Trophy. She also had to describe what was a successful season in her eyes. She sidestepped the Vare Trophy mention. 

Kim answered the rest of the question. “The goal for the season was the low score and obviously to win,” she explained. Although she out-performed many Solheim Cup stars, especially Lexi Thompson and Charley Hull, to win her first title of the season, Kim still wasn’t satisfied. 

The 28-year-old acknowledged her win at the Ascendant. However, she pointed out that the low score remains to be earned. Kim summed up that getting everything she planned for would be a successful season from her perspective. 

Her strong first round helped Kim lay the foundation for this win. She scored a 64 on a par-71 course and flew high with a 7-under. From the three following rounds, she scored a 6-under collectively, and yet that sufficed to finish first in the race. With a 13-under final score, she had a 4-score lead against the two women who shared the second position. 

Who Is Hyo-Joo Kim? Everything There Is to Know About the LPGA Powerhouse From South Korea

The five-time LPGA Tour winner has worked quite hard for this win this season. Sustaining her form throughout this year, she came close to winning a few times, yet didn’t.  

Kim’s neck-to-neck battles across the season

Kim finished within the top 10 positions in 8 events this season, and five were top 5 finishes. She finished fifth in the Meijer LPGA Classic and shared the third position in the LA Open and the BMW Ladies Championship. 

She had two second-position finishes, and one of them was at the Shop Rite LPGA Classic in June. Kim lost the title to Ashleigh Buhai, who soared ahead with a one-score lead against her. 

The more recent runner-up finish was at the Scottish Open, where Celine Boutier bagged the title with a two-score lead. Now with Kim leaving Boutier behind at a shared 13th position, the scales are finally balanced. A fun fact: the two have actually shared a caddie between them.

Coming so close to victory so many times, Kim has finally clinched a win at the Ascendant now. Hopefully, she finds the momentum to push through and earn that low score as well. Do you think she can card an under-60 score soon? Tell us in the comments below!

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