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Kim Hyo-joo narrowly misses LPGA major title at Chevron Championship

Published: 28 Apr. 2025, 11:32 Updated: 28 Apr. 2025, 20:53

Kim Hyo-joo plays her shot from the 17th tee during the final round of the Chevron Championship 2025 at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas on April 27. [AFP/YONHAP]

Kim Hyo-joo narrowly missed out on an LPGA major title after finishing runner-up at the Chevron Championship following a playoff at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas on Sunday.

Kim carded a two-under 70 in the final round for a final score of seven-under-par 281, tying with Saigo Mao of Japan, Yin Ruoning of China, Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and Lindy Duncan of the United States and forcing a playoff on the par-5 18th hole.

Saigo, LPGA rookie of 2024, claimed her first major title and winner prize money of $1.2 million by making a birdie, while Kim, Yin and Jutanugarn carded a par and Duncan managed a bogey.

Kim still showcased a strong performance during the final round, making three birdies and just one bogey across 18 holes.

A win at the Chevron Championship would have marked her second LPGA major victory after her first at the Evian Championship in 2014.

Sunday's finish was still the seven-time LPGA winner's second-best result in the 2025 season, having won the Ford Championship last month.

The runner-up finish was also her fourth top-10 finish this campaign, during which she has only missed the cut once across eight LPGA competitions.

Kim Hyo-joo remains as one of the two Korean golfers to have clinched an LPGA title this season alongside Kim A-lim, who won the season opener Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in February.

Kim A-lim tied for 40th on Sunday, while countrywomen Ko Jin-young and Ryu Hae-ran both tied for sixth and managed the second-best result among Koreans.

A win from Ko would have made her the first Korean to win the major twice, after having done so in the 2019 edition.

She is one of the six Korean contenders to have lifted the trophy. No Korean has secured the coveted title since Lee Mi-rim in 2020.

Fellow Korean Choi Hye-jin, meanwhile, managed a top-10 finish by tying for ninth.

KLPGA star turned-LPGA rookie Yoon Ina also made the cut at her first LPGA major and tied for 52nd.

Yoon Ina lines up a putt on the 13th green during the second round of the Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas on April 25. [AFP/YONHAP]

Yoon missed the cut at her LPGA debut competition, the Founders Cup in February, but has made the cut in all five tournaments since, with a joint 16th place at the JM Eagle LA Championship remaining her best result.

She still has plenty of competitions through which she could earn points for the 2025 LPGA rookie award.

Winning the award would allow her to follow in the footsteps of countrywomen who have shone on the Tour, including 2023 LPGA rookie award winner Ryu, 2019 winner Lee Jeong-eun6 and 2018 winner Ko.

Yoon could boost her points through winning one of the four remaining majors, where points for the award are doubled. A major victory can earn her 300 points, while a runner-up finish equals 160 points.

The U.S. Women's Open, teeing off on May 29, is the next major scheduled.

Before the second major of the season, the Tour will continue with the Black Desert Championship, teeing off on May 1 in Utah.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PAIK JI-HWAN, KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]