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Ko Jin-young claims second place at Founders Cup, missing fourth title

Published: 10 Feb. 2025, 11:35 Updated: 10 Feb. 2025, 18:01

PAIK JI-HWAN
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Ko Jin-young hits a shot during the Founders Cup presented by the U.S. Virgin Islands 2025 at Bradenton Country Club in Florida on Feb. 9. [AFP/YONHAP]

Ko Jin-young finished as runner-up in the Founders Cup presented by the U.S. Virgin Islands on Sunday, posting a 17-under-par 267, marking another strong finish in the LPGA tournament where she became the first golfer to win the title three times in 2023.

Ko was in action on the final day at the Bradenton Country Club in Florida after carding bogey-free rounds in the first three days, but was unable to maintain the momentum. She made bogeys on the 13th, 14th and 16th holes, finishing with a par-71 final round for a total of 17-under-par.

Yealimi Noh of the United States lifted the trophy with a 21-under-par, securing her first LPGA title.

Had Ko won this year’s Founders Cup, it would have been her record fourth victory at the tournament. She is the first and only golfer to have won the competition three times, in 2019, 2021 and 2023. The 2023 Founders Cup victory is the 15-time LPGA winners’ last silverware on the Tour.

A Ko victory would also have meant back-to-back Korean wins on the Tour, after countrywoman Kim A-lim triumphed in the 2025 season opener, the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, on Feb. 2.

Ko has had a strong start to the 2025 campaign, with two top-five finishes already under her belt, including a tie for fourth in the season opener.

Fellow countrywoman Im Jin-hee finished tied for fourth, with a 13-under-par, one stroke ahead of world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who tied for seventh.

No other Korean golfers finished in the top 10, with Lee Jeong-eun6 and Lee So-mi tying for 13th, marking the third-best Korean finishes.

The field also saw KLPGA star Yoon Ina make her LPGA debut after a stellar performance on the Korean Tour in the 2024 season, where she led in prize money, had the lowest average strokes and accumulated the most Wemade points — awarded for top-10 finishes in KLPGA events. However, Yoon did not make the cut.

Yoon still has plenty of opportunities to rise to prominence on the Tour, which continues through November.

Yoon Ina hits a shot during the Founders Cup presented by the U.S. Virgin Islands at Bradenton Country Club in Flordia on Feb. 7. [AFP/YONHAP]

The 2025 season will be crucial for restoring the country’s success on the LPGA after a disappointing 2024 campaign, during which Korean contenders claimed only three titles in 35 tournaments, the fewest in 13 years.

Five majors await this season, as well as an Asian swing in the second half of the year, which will include a visit to Korea for the BMW Ladies Championship in October. Korean golfers will also have a chance to showcase their skills in the International Crown, an LPGA match-play competition returning to Korea after the 2018 edition.

The Tour will have a one-week break before its first Asian swing begins in Thailand with the Honda LPGA Thailand, teeing off on Feb. 20.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]