Kim Su-ji takes home trophy at Hanwha Classic, her second major award

Kim Su-ji kisses the Hanwha Classic trophy after winning the tournament at Jade Palace Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon, on Sunday. [KLPGA]

Kim Su-ji took home the trophy at the Hanwha Classic 2023 on Sunday at Jade Palace Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon, narrowly edging out Lee Ye-won and Atthaya Thitikul to win her second major award and fifth KLPGA title.

A total of 120 golfers started the tournament Thursday, with 61 golfers who made the cut competing on Sunday. The final round turned out to be a fierce affair with four golfers — Kim Su-ji, Lee Ye-won, Jun Ye-sung and invitee Thitikul of Thailand — competing for the title.

The four golfers all competed in the top four positions in the last round. Kim, who was a joint frontrunner with Jun on moving day, rode her momentum through the final round and shone among the four.

The 26-year-old carded four consecutive birdies on the 10th, to 13th holes for the first time in the tournament and solidified her top spot.

She then continued to par the remaining holes, before making a final birdie in the par-5 18th hole to manage a six-under-par, 66, for a final score of 13-under-par, 275, to win the Hanwha Classic.

Sunday’s title marked Kim’s first title of the 2023 season and her second major trophy in her career after the Hite Championship in 2021. She also claimed 306 million won ($230,600) in prize money — the heftiest prize this season.

Her first victory of the season came after she managed three top-five finishes this year. Sunday’s title also showed that she has made significant improvements from her last event, the Doosan E&C We’ve Championship on Aug. 13, when she tied for 16th.

“It was a really tough day today,” Kim said after the event. “The early days of the season did not go well, but I just relaxed and I think that led to a good result. I did get nervous today, and it wasn't easy, but I am just a little bewildered that I got this good of a result.”

She managed the three top-five finishes in the early days of the season, but failed to ride that momentum from mid-May through last month, as she withdrew from two events in May and June, before failing to make the cut at McCol-Mona YongPyong Open in July.

This is the first time Kim has won a KLPGA tournament in August, having previously won the past four events in the fall — all in September or October.

After making her KLPGA debut in 2017, she claimed her first-ever title at the KG Edaily Ladies Open in September 2021 and the Hite Championship the following month, before winning at the OK Financial Group Se-ri Pak Invitational in September last year and Hana Championship in October.

Thitikul, who has two LPGA titles to her name, tied for second at the Hanwha Classic alongside Lee Ye-won with a 10-under-par, 278.

Lee managed a five-under-par, 67, in the last round, but failed to secure her third career trophy.

Jun came in fourth with a final score of nine-under-par, 279, while Jeong Yun-ji finished in fifth with 280.

KLPGA’s winningest golfer Park Min-ji also competed in the Hanwha Classic, but she tied for eighth place with a five-under-par, 283, despite holding the top position for the first two rounds.

She slipped down to 10th on moving day and failed to bounce back in the final round, managing a three-under-par, 69, on Sunday.

With Sunday’s result, Park failed to become the first-ever golfer to win four different majors. Park has won the DB Women’s Open, Hite Championship and KB Financial Star Championship.

A total of five majors exist on the KLPGA Tour: The CreaS F&C KLPGA Championship, DB Women’s Open, Hanwha Classic, Star Championship and Hite Championship.

Lee Da-yeon, who has also been crowned a champion in three different majors — the Women’s Open in 2019, the Hanwha Classic 2021 and the CreaS Championship this year — tied for seventh with a six-under-par, 282.

Other LPGA golfers Kim A-lim and Kim In-kyung, who took part in the event with Hanwha as their main sponsor, came in 15th and 41th place, respectively.

Meanwhile, defending champion Hong Ji-won failed to even make the cut this year.

Three different golfers this season have won one major apiece, with Lee Da-yeon winning the CreaS Championship, Hong Ji-won taking the Korea Women’s Open and Kim lifting the Hanwha Classic trophy.

Two more majors remain on the KLPGA Tour: The Star Championship in September and Hite Championship the following month. Park is the defending champion in both.

Before the next major starts on Sept. 7, the KLPGA will continue on Friday with the KG Edaily Ladies Open teeing off at Sunning Point Country Club in Yongin, Gyeonggi.

About two months of the 2023 KLPGA tour remain, with the SK Shieldus SK Telecom Championship being the last tournament of the year, in November.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]