Kim Su-ji clinches 2024 KLPGA season’s final major title at Hite Jinro Championship

Home > Sports > Golf

Kim Su-ji clinches 2024 KLPGA season’s final major title at Hite Jinro Championship

Published: 06 Oct. 2024, 17:56 Updated: 06 Oct. 2024, 18:25

PAIK JI-HWAN
paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr

Kim Su-ji poses with the Hite Jinro Championship trophy at Blue Heron Golf Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi on Sunday. [YONHAP]

Kim Su-ji won the 2024 KLPGA season's last major, the Hite Jinro Championship, at Blue Heron Golf Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, on Sunday, finishing with a two-under-par 286.

She narrowly beat Hwang You-min to claim her sixth KLPGA title and a prize of 270 million won ($200,000).

Kim, who led after the third round, had a shaky start in the final round, making bogeys on the first and third holes and another on the 10th, allowing Yoon Ina to tie with her.

Park Min-ji also tied with the leaders after making two straight birdies on the 12th and 13th holes. However, Kim reclaimed sole possession of first place with a birdie on the 14th hole.

Hwang moved up to second, pushing Park and Yoon into a tie for third, but Kim sealed her victory with two pars, one birdie and one bogey over the final four holes.

Hwang You-min hits a shot during the Hite Jinro Championship at Blue Heron Golf Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi on Sunday. [YONHAP]

“It was not an easy round today, and because the course here was difficult, I couldn’t lose my concentration,” Kim said after her victory. “But as I continued my play through the end, I was able to finish on a good note.”

Sunday’s win marks Kim’s first title of the 2024 season and her first since the Hanwha Classic in August last year. It also brings her KLPGA major titles to three: The Hite Championship titles in 2021 and 2024 and the Hanwha Classic title.

Yoon's joint third-place finish is her second consecutive top-five result after finishing as the sole runner-up at the Hana Financial Group Championship on Sept. 29. Winning the Hite Championship would have marked her third KLPGA victory and her first major title.

For Park, winning the tournament would have been her second Hite Championship title after her victory in 2022 and her fourth major trophy.

Park, who has 19 KLPGA titles, has had a strong season, including one victory and seven top-10 finishes.

Ma Da-som, coming off a dominant win at the Hana Championship last week, delivered a solid performance this week, finishing tied for 21st with a 12-over-par, 300.

Defending champion Lee Ye-won, however, missed the cut this year.

The Hite Championship concludes this season’s KLPGA major schedule. All five major titles went to different golfers: Lee Jung-min won the CreaS F&C KLPGA Championship, Ro Seung-hui the DB Group Korea Women’s Open, Park Ji-young the Hanwha Classic, Yoo Hyun-jo the KB Financial Group Star Championship and Kim Su-ji the Hite Championship.

The 2024 KLPGA season continues with the Dongbu Construction-Koreit Championship starting on Oct. 10. The campaign runs through November, concluding with the SK Shieldus-SK Telecom Championship.

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