On June 28, at the Birch Hill Country Club in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, Kim shot a 2-under-par 70 in the final round of the KLPGA McCall-Mona Yongpyong Open, which had a total prize purse of 1 billion won. She recorded five birdies and three bogeys during the round.
Finishing with a total score of 12-under 204, Kim entered a playoff after tying with Choi Ye-rim. The decisive moment came on the 18th hole during the second playoff hole. Both players made par on the first playoff hole, but in the second, Choi missed a 5.6-meter birdie putt and made par, while Kim successfully sank a 3.6-meter birdie putt to secure the win.
Competing as a rookie this year, Kim previously won the iM Financial Open in April with a wire-to-wire performance. She followed that victory with a win at the 40th Korean Women's Open on June 14, marking her third win of the season and her fifth career title.
With this victory, Kim earned 180 million won in prize money and solidified her position at the top of several categories, including total earnings (963.09 million won), wins (three), and rookie points (1,434). She also climbed to first place in the Player of the Year points standings with 313 points.
After the match, Kim expressed her thoughts through the KLPGA, stating, "At the beginning, I thought I was playing far from winning. But I was able to finish strong and win. I am truly grateful for this day."
She added, "I received a lot of expectations ahead of this season. Personally, I feel like I am doing well. To be the top winner, I think I need to achieve around six victories. So my goal for this season is six wins."
On the other hand, Choi Ye-rim, who was seeking her first victory in her 231st regular tour event, once again fell short at the brink of victory. After losing in a playoff to Park Hyun-kyung at this event in 2024, Choi faced another playoff defeat, marking her ninth runner-up finish in her career (one in 2018, one in 2019, two in 2022, one in 2023, three in 2024, and one in 2026).
Yoo Seo-yeon finished in third place with a total score of 11-under 205. Noh Seung-hee, who maintained the solo lead after the first two rounds, lost two strokes on the final day, finishing tied for fourth with a total score of 10-under 206.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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