KIM WINS MARATHON CLASSIC; 2ND two-time LPGA winner this year

SYLVANIA, Ohio—In-Kyung Kim rallied to win the Marathon Classic on Sunday to become the second two-time winner this season on the LPGA Tour.

Two strokes behind 18-year-old Nelly Korda entering the round, Kim birdied six of the first nine holes and finished with an 8-under 63 for a four-stroke victory over Lexi Thompson.

“It’s golf. I really didn’t expect anything,” Kim said. “Maybe, I think, that’s why I played really well today. Really good names are on top of the leaderboard, and I just wanted to go out and make the most out of it, and today I was able to do that.”

Kim also won the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June in New Jersey. The sixtime LPGA Tour winner joined fellow South Korean player So Yeon Ryu as the only multiple winners this season.

After playing the front nine in 6-under 28, the 29-year-old Kim and added birdies on Nos. 15 and 16. She finished at 21-under 263 at Highland Meadows.

In the 2010 event, she lost to Na Yeon Choi in a playoff.

“I always liked the golf course,” Kim said. “I had a playoff before and I just have great memory.”

Thompson closed with a 66.

“Overall, I’m very happy with the way I played,” Thompson said. “I was hitting a cut around the golf course, and that’s usually not what I do. But I managed to put up some good scores.”

Gerina Piller, still looking for her first LPGA Tour victory after leading after each of the first two rounds, had a 68 to tie for third at 15 under with Peiyun Chien (68).

“I didn’t come away with the win, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t have a winning performance,” Piller said. “I’m looking forward to taking the week off and heading over to the British.”

Sung Hyun Park, coming off a victory last week in the U.S. Women’s Open in New Jersey, tied for sixth at 13 under after a 70.

Korda shot a 74 to tie for eighth at 12 under.

Lydia Ko, winless since her victory last year at Highland Meadows, tied for 20th at 9 under after a 69. She also won the 2014 event.