▲ Choi Hye-jin and Kim Hyo-joo
Kim Hyo-joo and Choi Hye-jin finished as runners-up at the Dow Championship, a two-player team event on the LPGA Tour with a total purse of $3.3 million.
On June 15 (KST), Kim and Choi shot a bogey-free 5-under 65 in the final fourth round of the tournament held at the par-70 Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan.
Finishing with a total of 15-under 265, Kim and Choi ended up as runners-up, conceding a two-stroke comeback victory to Gina Kim and Yana Wilson of the United States (final total of 17-under 263), who carded an impressive 8-under par today.
The Dow Championship is a team event where two players pair up. The first and third rounds are played in a foursomes (alternate shot) format, while the second and fourth rounds are played in a four-ball (best ball) format, where each player plays their own ball and the better score of the two is recorded as the team's score.
Missing out on a victory that seemed within reach, Kim Hyo-joo fell short of reaching her milestone 10th career LPGA Tour win, while Choi Hye-jin also missed her chance to secure her maiden LPGA Tour title.
Defending champions Im Jin-hee and Lee So-mi, who started the fourth round tied for seventh, shot a 9-under to leap to a tie for third place at 14-under 266, while Kim A-lim and Yoon Ina finished tied for seventh with a final total of 11-under 269.
Although South Korean players combined for three wins earlier this season—with Lee Mi-hyang winning the Blue Bay LPGA in March and Kim Hyo-joo capturing two titles at the Founders Cup and the Ford Championship in March—they have now gone nine consecutive tournaments without a victory.
It was a highly disappointing tournament for Kim and Choi.
They entered the fourth round with a one-stroke sole lead but could not hold off the fierce pursuit of Kim and Wilson.
After Choi birdied the par-4 second hole to gain a stroke, Gina Kim responded with a birdie on the par-5 third hole, keeping the one-stroke gap intact.
However, as Kim and Wilson carded an eagle on the par-4 fifth hole, Kim and Choi conceded the lead for the first time.
Kim Hyo-joo reclaimed a share of the lead with back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth holes, but Wilson's birdie on the par-4 10th hole put them back in the chasing position.
Kim and Wilson extended their lead to three strokes with consecutive birdies on the 12th, 14th, and 17th holes (all par-4s). Kim and Choi fought back with birdies on the 12th and the par-3 18th holes, but ultimately conceded the two-stroke victory.
Gina Kim, a Korean-American whose parents are Korean, secured her first LPGA Tour victory since her debut in 2022. Wilson, who debuted on the LPGA Tour this season, also tasted the joy of her maiden victory in her ninth tournament.
The tournament awards a prize money of $805,381 (approximately 1.22 billion won) to the two winners.
This means the individual winner's share is around 600 million won.
Gina Kim shared her thoughts, saying, "It was a really fun week. There were tough moments, but it was great to overcome them with a good partner," adding, "This is a turning point that will change my life. I missed the cut in three consecutive tournaments right before this, but this win changed the momentum."
Wilson also said, "I was confident when I chose Kim as my partner," adding, "This win will be a stepping stone to build momentum. With three consecutive major tournaments coming up over the next five weeks, I have high expectations."
Kim A-lim and Yoon Ina shot a 5-under today to finish tied for seventh with a final total of 11-under 269, while An Na-rin and Joo Soo-bin finished 28th with a final total of 5-under 275.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda (USA), playing in this tournament for the first time in four years, paired up with Olivia Cowan (Germany) to combine for an 8-under 272, finishing tied for 17th.
In addition, 65-year-old veteran Juli Inkster (USA) showed off her veteran prowess by finishing tied for 12th with a final total of 9-under 271 alongside Angel Yin (USA).
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.