Kim Hyo-joo Chases Third Straight LPGA Win at Aramco Championship

Kim Hyo-joo won the LPGA Tour Ford Championship (total purse $2.25 million) for a second straight year, giving her back-to-back tour titles. [Photo=Yonhap·Reuters]

최근 절정의 샷감을 이어가고 있는 김효주가 3주 연속 미국여자프로골프(LPGA) 투어 우승에 도전한다.

김효주는 오는 3일(이하 한국시간)부터 6일까지 나흘간 미국 네바다주 라스베이거스의 섀도 크리크 골프코스(파72)에서 열리는 LPGA 투어 아람코 챔피언십(총상금 400만 달러)에 출전한다.

Kim has been in top form. At the Fortinet Founders Cup, held March 20-23, she finished at 16-under 272 to edge Nelly Korda of the United States by one stroke for her eighth career LPGA title. She followed that by winning the Ford Championship, played March 27-30, posting 28-under 260 and beating Korda by two shots to claim her second straight victory.

With her first multiwin season, Kim now has nine LPGA victories, moving into a tie for sixth among South Korean players. She also climbed to No. 3 in the women’s world ranking released March 31, up from No. 4 the previous week. She leads the CME Globe points race (1,268 points), season earnings ($939,640) and player of the year points (69).

After winning the Ford Championship, Kim said, “My goal this season was two wins, and I already achieved it. I think I need to set a new goal.”

Kim Hyo-joo won the LPGA Tour Ford Championship (total purse $2.25 million) for a second straight year, extending her run of victories to two consecutive weeks. [Photo=Yonhap·Reuters]

Her next target is a third straight win. If she captures the Aramco Championship, it would be the first time in 13 years that a South Korean player has won three consecutive LPGA events, since Park In-bee did it in 2013. Park won the Wegmans Championship, Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open in succession that June.

A victory in Las Vegas would also give Kim three wins in a single season, a mark last reached by a South Korean player when Ko Jin-young won five times in 2021. Across the LPGA Tour, it would be the first three-tournament winning streak in two years, since Korda did it in March and April 2024. It would also make Kim the sixth South Korean player to reach 10 LPGA wins, joining Pak Se-ri (25), Park In-bee (21), Ko (15), Kim Sei-young (13) and Shin Ji-yai (11).

Kim’s world ranking points total is 6.71, trailing No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand (10.81) and No. 2 Korda (8.44). The rankings are based on results over the past two years.

The field includes Thitikul and Korda, along with Charley Hull of Britain, who has slipped to No. 4, No. 5 Minjee Lee of Australia, No. 6 Miyu Yamashita of Japan, No. 7 Lydia Ko of New Zealand, No. 8 Hannah Green of Australia and No. 9 Lottie Woad of England. South Koreans in the field include world No. 10 Kim Sei-young, No. 13 Yoo Hae-ran, No. 15 Choi Hye-jin, this season’s Blue Bay LPGA winner Lee Mi-hyang, plus Kim A-lim, Hwang Yu-min, Ko Jin-young, Lee So-mi, Im Jin-hee, Shin Ji-eun and Yoon Ina.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Kang Sang Heon ksh@ajunews.com