by JAMES S. KIM | @james_s_kim
editor@charactermedia.com
When one thinks walk-off win, golf isn’t the sport that immediately comes to mind. But Sei Young Kim made two incredible shots this past Saturday and took the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship in Kapolei, Hawaii.
The 22-year-old rookie nearly didn’t make it there: Her drive on the 18th hole went into the water. “I saw the ball go into the hazard and I thought, ‘What have I done to deserve this fate?'” Kim told Golf.com. ”Then the gift came right back after that. I still can’t believe what just happened.”
Kim recovered with a chip-in from 18 feet to force a playoff with fellow South Korean Inbee Park, who was seeking her 14th LPGA title. However, Park would fall victim to another brilliant shot by Kim in the sudden-death playoff.
On the approach, Kim lifted a 154-yard shot that bounced twice before it dropped into the hole for eagle. She didn’t know if shot had gone in, but the cheering crowd let her know quite clearly.
Park’s attempts to match Kim’s shot came short, leading Kim to win the championship.
“Inbee said two things to me,” Kim said. “‘How did you get that in?’ And ‘congratulations.'”
Watch both shots below:
Sei Young Kim’s reaction after she chipped in her putt on #18 to force a playoff with Inbee Park #lottechampionship #lpga Photo by @topher808 A photo posted by LOTTE Championship (@lottechampionship) on
Kim collected her second-career LPGA victory while becoming the first South Korean winner in the tournament’s four-year history. She has a cool $270,000 winner’s check to boot.
However, when Kim was asked how memorable this shot ranked in her career, it came up only second. “In 2013, I won a tournament, which had the biggest prize money on KLPGA,” she told Golf.com. “I won that tournament by making a hole-in-one on 17, so that was probably my most memorable shot.”
South Korean players swept the first five places: I.K. Kim finished third, while Hyo Joo Kim and Chella Choi tied for fourth.
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