Youmin Hwang Wins LOTTE Championship
Honolulu – Youmin Hwang secured her first victory at an LPGA Tour event, taking the LOTTE Championship on Saturday. With an impressive comeback at the end of the tournament, Hwang broke the season’s streak without a repeat winner, which extended to 25 tournaments. The Korean golfer, who participated in the tournament thanks to a sponsorship invitation, made birdies on the last four holes and on five of the last six at the windy Hoakalei Country Club, achieving an impressive 67 strokes, five under par. This secured her victory by one stroke over Hyo Joo Kim.As she is not a member of the LPGA Tour, 22-year-old Hwang has the option of accepting membership immediately or postponing it until next season. This is Hwang’s sixth appearance in an LPGA event and the fourth of the season, having made the weekend cuts at the U.S. Women’s Open, the KPMG Women’s PGA, and the Evian Championship. Hwang, who was tied for the lead with Kim and Minami Katsu after her birdie on the 17th hole, took advantage of a misstep by Katsu and Kim, who bogeyed on that hole in the following group. On the 18th hole, Hwang sent her second shot off the green, but managed an excellent approach that left the ball a foot from the hole. Hwang finished the tournament with a total of 271 strokes, 17 under par. On Thursday, he had set a new personal record with 62 strokes, which gave him a three-stroke lead, but then he had a 75 on Friday, falling into a tie for second place, one stroke behind Akie Iwai. Kim birdied the 18th hole, closing with 68 strokes. Katsu finished in third place with 15 under par after a 69. Nelly Korda, ranked second, closed with 69 strokes, finishing three strokes behind Hwang with a total of 17 under par, along with Peiyun Chien (70), Jessica Porvasnik (70) and Iwai (71). After a season with seven victories, Korda has not yet won this year.Thanks to LOTTE’s support, I can be here and win.
Youmin Hwang
The LPGA Tour now heads to Asia for a series of tournaments that will take place over five consecutive weeks in Shanghai, South Korea, Malaysia, and Japan.Overall, I’m putting myself in a position to compete. It’s definitely an interesting year for me in terms of results, but at the end of the day, I’m giving 100 percent, controlling what I can control, and I’m happy with that.
Nelly Korda
