ZOSIMO T. LITERATUS MorningSun Press Agency
It may not be the most flawless finish in the game, but South Korea’s In Kyung Kim took her first LPGA win on Sunday when she secured the lead with 73 shots, just three-shot ahead of Angela Stanford (75) amidst the relentless winds at the Lakeside Course of the Blackhawk Country Club in Danville, California.
The Sunday's conditions were at its worst in the week for the Longs Drug Challenge that offered a winner's check of $180,000. Lorena Ochoa, the world's top player, started as a favorite but dropped to the fourth place (72) behind Yani Tseng (72).
The 20-year-old Kim, ranked No. 38 in the world, faced the swirling winds with accurate tee shots and well-controlled putting. She broke into tears after sinking a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to win the game. She hugged her caddie and wiped her tears, and looked for her mother for a warm embrace. “I was overwhelmed,” she later recalled. “It was a happy cry.”
In her second season in the LPGA tour, Kim has accomplished six top-10 finishes this year, including a tie for third in the US Women’s Open last month. Despite a not-so-restful two-hour sleep (her mind kept on replaying the course in her head all night), her chase for the white ball from tournament to tournament paid off with a breakthrough in the top ranks of the professional game.
The Sunday's conditions were at its worst in the week for the Longs Drug Challenge that offered a winner's check of $180,000. Lorena Ochoa, the world's top player, started as a favorite but dropped to the fourth place (72) behind Yani Tseng (72).
The 20-year-old Kim, ranked No. 38 in the world, faced the swirling winds with accurate tee shots and well-controlled putting. She broke into tears after sinking a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to win the game. She hugged her caddie and wiped her tears, and looked for her mother for a warm embrace. “I was overwhelmed,” she later recalled. “It was a happy cry.”
In her second season in the LPGA tour, Kim has accomplished six top-10 finishes this year, including a tie for third in the US Women’s Open last month. Despite a not-so-restful two-hour sleep (her mind kept on replaying the course in her head all night), her chase for the white ball from tournament to tournament paid off with a breakthrough in the top ranks of the professional game.
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