Kim won the Ford Championship on March 30 (Korean time) at Whirlwind Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona, finishing at 28-under 260 on the par-72 course. The tournament purse was $2.25 million, and she earned $337,500 (about 510 million won) in prize money.
Kim, who won this event last year, captured the Ford Championship for a second consecutive year.
At a news conference after the win, Kim said, "I feel so good I can’t even speak. Honestly, I still can’t believe it." She added, "It’s hard for a player to come in as the defending champion, but I brought last week’s good momentum and came to a course where I have good memories, and I’m happy I could win. I want to keep this feeling until tomorrow," she said with a laugh.
Kim followed last week’s Founders Cup title with another victory, giving her back-to-back wins on the LPGA Tour. It was the first time she has won multiple times in a single season. Her LPGA Tour career total rose to nine wins, moving her into a tie for sixth among South Korean players in LPGA victories. She also moved into first in CME Globe points (1,268), season earnings ($939,640) and player of the year points (69).
"My goal this season was two wins, and I’ve already done that. I think I need to set my goal again," Kim said. "Right now, I’m not thinking about anything. I’ll reset it tomorrow."
She said her focus compared with earlier in her career has been playing more aggressively to make more birdies, and that approach has worked over the past two weeks.
Kim also beat Nelly Korda of the United States in the final group for a second straight week. "I see and learn a lot playing with Korda. She’s a great player, and I gain a lot from competing with her," Kim said. "I think we both got good results because we pushed each other."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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