Lee Mi-hyang nabs tied third at first Ford Classic

Golf

Published: 01 Apr. 2024, 14:39 Updated: 01 Apr. 2024, 15:47

Lee Mi-hyang nabs tied third at first Ford Classic

Korea's Lee Mi-hyang plays her shot from the 11th tee during the final round of the Ford Championship presented by KCC at Seville Golf & Country Club on Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona. [AFP/YONHAP]

Korea’s Lee Mi-hyang carded a 17-under-par, 271, to finish tied for third in a crowded, 144-entry field at the inaugural Ford Championship presented by KCC at the Seville Golf & Country Club in Gilbert, Arizona on Sunday.

Lee Mi-hyang, Ko Jin-young make top 10 at HSBC in Singapore

It was a five-way tie for third place, with Lee sharing the spot with Sweden’s Frida Kinhult and Maja Stark, the United States’ Lexi Thompson and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda — each receiving a prize of $99,970.

American golfer Nelly Korda carded a 20-under-par, 268, to clinch the championship and win her third-straight Tour start on the heels of a victory at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship following a seven-week hiatus. Korda, ranked No.1 as of press time, also won the Drive On Championship, in January.

Sunday’s $337,500 win was Korda’s 11th career victory.

Australia’s Hira Naveed finished in solo second with an 18-under-par, 270.

Lee’s performance at this weekend’s tournament in Arizona was one of her best of the season. She finished in a four-way tie for third at the HSBC Women’s Championship in Singapore at the beginning of March.

Lee, who made her LPGA debut in 2012, has two titles under her belt. Her most recent came in 2017 at the Scottish Open, a tournament co-sanctioned by the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour. She won her first in 2014 at the Mizuno Classic, now called the Toto Japan Classic, co-sanctioned by the LPGA and JLPGA.

Lee Mi-hyang makes stunning comeback

Lee notched the highest finish among a total of 21 golfers from Korea who entered the crowded field.

Korea’s Kim Hyo-joo finished a stroke behind Lee in a five-way tie for eighth place with 16-under-par, 272. Kim headed into the fourth and final round in a three-way tie for first after a bogey-free moving day battling windy conditions on the course but fell down the leaderboard with a double bogey on the 11th hole.

Just seven other Korean golfers made the 75-player cut, with An Na-rin and Kim Sei-young finishing right behind Kim, carding a 15-under-par, 273, in tied 13th — an eight-way tie.

Jenny Shin finished in tied 30th with a 12-under-par, 276, Im Jin-hee in tied 35th, Ji Eun-hee and Kim In-kyung in tied 52nd and Sung Yu-jin in tied 60th. Both Im and Sung are rookies.

A Korean golfer has yet to capture an LPGA victory this season.

The Tour next heads to Las Vegas, Nevada for the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards this week.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]