Hyo Joo Kim edges Hinako Shibuno for Lotte Championship win in Hawaii

EWA Beach front, Hawaii — Hyo Joo Kim staved off a late charge from Hinako Shibuno to gain the LPGA Tour’s LOTTE Championship on Saturday.

Kim shut with a 1-below 71 — subsequent a bogey on the par-4 17th with a faucet-in birdie on the par-5 18th — to finish at 11-under 277, two photographs obvious of Shibuno at breezy Hoakalei Nation Club.

Kim gained $300,000 for her fifth LPGA Tour title.

“There had been a lot of anticipations but also a ton of assist coming from mates and family members as nicely,” reported Kim, who gained a key at age 19 in the 2014 Evian Championship. “There have been ups and downs and I feel I am at the up part correct now and I sense very happy, a little confident about the long term and the outlook seems shiny for me and I experience like I can do better transferring forward.”

The 26-calendar year aged South Korean star experienced a 3-stroke guide after each the 2nd and third rounds and held off a ultimate-round drive from Shibuno, the Japanese player who a bogey-cost-free 70.

Kim played the entrance 9 in 1 less than. She place her technique on the par-5 fifth hole, which played at 540 yards, inside of of 3 feet to to set up a birdie. She birdied No. 8, but bogeyed the par-3 ninth hole that went from a 3rd-spherical yardage of 146 yards to 184 for the final round.

Whole-discipline scores from the Lotte Championship

Kim birdied No. 18 right after a bit of drama. She skipped the fairway with her tee shot and uncovered the ideal tough. Her second shot crossed the fairway and nestled into the 1st reduce of the still left tough. With her 3rd, even so, Kim recovered with a pitch shot that left her with a tap-in.

Kim is 1 of 10 players who have played in all 10 LOTTE Championships considering the fact that the match debuted in 2012.

“I have been playing in the LOTTE Championship because the inaugural championship and then for the reason that LOTTE is my particular sponsor I always preferred to acquire and do nicely,” she said.

Shibuno remaining herself with just in excess of 200 yards to the front of the eco-friendly with her 2nd shot on 18, but her ball strike the lip of a greenside bunker and fell back again in. She went on to par the hole.

“I was owning extremely pleasurable taking part in with her. My placing was a minimal, you know, could not go in, so that was the (difference) with her,” Shibuno said.

Hye-Jin Choi was third at 7 less than soon after a 69.

Brianna Do, who played in the last team together with Kim and Shibuno, commenced the spherical 3 strokes again of the lead, but struggled with a 77 and tied for 12th. Do was seeking to turn out to be just the 3rd neighborhood qualifier to earn an LPGA Tour function and the to start with because Brooke Henderson in the 2015 Portland Common.