Sei Young Kim winswomen’s PGA Championship
NEWTOWNSQUARE, PA. » Sei Young Kim lined up for the putt on the 18th hole that would seal her first LPGA major championship and somehowmissed by inches. One member of the gallery — in this instance, roughly 75 officials, photographers and course stragglers — even said “she made it.” Not quite.
The 27-year- old South Korean laughed off the rare misstep, tapped in the winner and shed the unwelcome label of winningest golfer on the tour without a major. Kimraised her arms “Rocky” style, hugged her caddie and, at last, was a major champion.
Kim chewed up Aronimink Golf Club in record style, shooting a 7-under 63 on Sunday towin the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She was five strokes better than runner-up Inbee Park, never seriously challenged on the arduous course in suburban Philadelphia.
“I’m actually really hiding my tears at the moment,” she said, standing next to the trophy.
Her dominance was in plain sight. She finished at 14-under 266. Her finalround 63 tied a tournament record, and her 266 set the championship scoring record.
Kim, who earned her 11th LPGA victory, got the championship push rolling when she matched a tournament record with a 29 on the front nine on Friday. She never really slowed down.
About the only surprise Sunday came when her father appeared on a video chat toward the end of her press conference.
“See you soon,” Kim said with a smile and a wave.
She was, Park said, “really untouchable.”
Park, a three-time winner of this championship, shot a 5-under 65. Park won the Women’s PGA Championship in 2015 and Kimwas in the first group of people on the course to celebrate with her.
Five years later, it was Kim’s time to hoist the trophy.
Kim, a 2016 Olympian, was runner-up at the 2015 Women’s PGA Championship and tied for second at the Evian Championship in 2018. Kim held the 54-hole lead at a major once, at the 2015 ANA Inspiration, where she finished in a tie for fourth.
She clinched the championship with a round to remember at Aronimink. Kim’s fifth birdie of the day at the par-3 14th gave her a four-shot lead over Park and put her at 12 under for the championship.
She earned $645,000 for the victory. Kimhas at least one win in every LPGA Tour season since 2015.
“It was just so hard to believe that she never won a major before because it felt like she won a few,” Park said.
Nasa Hataoka and Carlota Ciganda tied for third at 7 under. Anna Nordqvist (4 under) and Brooke Henderson (3 under) both played in Kim’s group and finished fifth and sixth.
Kim is the latest addition to a growing list of firsttime major winners in recent years, a signof growing parity. Her victory means nine of the last 10 major champions had never won one before. She joins Sophia Popov ( Women’s British Open) and Mirim Lee (ANA Inspiration) as this year’s major champions.