Kim wins Meijer LPGA Classic in playoff
Sei Young Kim won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday for her second victory of the year, beating Carlota Ciganda with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.
After bogeying the 18th in regulation to drop into the playoff, the 23-year-old Kim rebounded on the par-4 hole in the playoff. She hit a 124yard shot from the deep left rough — so deep that she momentarily lost her ball after looking away — ran onto the green and settled at 3 1/2 feet.
The South Korean player finished with a 3-under 68 at Blythefield to match Ciganda at 17-under 267.
Ciganda, from Spain, parred the final five holes in a bogeyfree 67. Winless on the tour with four runner-up finishes, she also hit into the left rough in the playoff. She hit a 156yard shot through the green and couldn’t get up-and-down for par.
Kim has five career victories, going 3-0 in playoffs. She also won the Founders Cup this year in Phoenix, shooting 6366-70-62 to match Annika Sorenstam’s LPGA Tour scoring record of 27 under.
Last year, she won three times and was the rookie of the year.
On 18 in regulation, Kim drove left into the rough under trees, hit her second into thick rough left of the green and missed a 15-foot par putt.
South Korea’s In Gee Chun, tied for the third-round lead with defending champion Lexi Thompson, had a 71 to finish third at 15 under.
The U.S. Women’s Open champion bogeyed two of the first four holes.
Thompson, fighting back pain, shot a 72 to tie for fourth with top-ranked Lydia Ko at 14 under. Ko, coming off a playoff loss to Canada’s Brooke Henderson last week in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship outside Seattle, closed with a 68.
Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., had a 71 to tie for 21st at six under.
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was the top Canadian after shooting an even 71 on Sunday and finished the tournament in a tie for 13th at 9-under 275. Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was two under for the event.
Ariya Jutanugarn, third last week after winning her previous three starts, tied for 18th at seven under after a 68.
Michelle Wie shot a 75 to tie for 56th at one under. She’s winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and hasn’t had a top-10 finish in 38 events.