Tag: Lotte Championship

Prize money payouts for each LPGA player at 2023 Lotte Championship

Coming into the Lotte Championship, rookie Grace Kim had made $4,460 in one made cut.

Coming into the Lotte Championship, rookie Grace Kim had made $4,460 in one made cut. By the end of the Lotte, Kim’s career earnings had ballooned to $304,460.

Needless to say, it was a banner day for the 22-year-old Australian, who was making only her third start to the season in Hawaii.

Yu Jin Sung, who was playing on sponsor invite, earned $159,346 for her share of second with Yu Liu.

Second-year tour player Lauren Hartlage took home the biggest check of her career, $58,483, with a share of sixth.

A total of 73 players made the cut. Here is the full breakdown of the Lotte Championship’s $2 million purse:

Pos Player Score Earnings
T1 Grace Kim -12* $300,000
T1 Yu Jin Sung -12 $159,346
T1 Yu Liu -12 $159,346
T4 Linnea Strom -11 $93,539
T4 Pei-Yun Chien -11 $93,539
T6 Georgia Hall -9 $58,483
T6 Lauren Hartlage -9 $58,483
T6 Natthakritta Vongtaveelap -9 $58,483
T9 You Min Hwang -8 $42,978
T9 Siyun Liu -8 $42,978
T11 Brooke Henderson -7 $36,656
T11 Caroline Inglis -7 $36,656
T13 Celine Boutier -6 $31,213
T13 Hye Jin Choi -6 $31,213
T13 Esther Henseleit -6 $31,213
T16 Nasa Hataoka -5 $27,000
T16 Perrine Delacour -5 $27,000
18 Celine Borge -4 $25,079
T19 Gabriella Then -3 $22,854
T19 Emma Talley -3 $22,854
T19 Amanda Doherty -3 $22,854
T19 Karis Davidson -3 $22,854
T23 Erika Hara -2 $18,278
T23 Ayaka Furue -2 $18,278
T23 Stacy Lewis -2 $18,278
T23 Frida Kinhult -2 $18,278
T23 Lucy Li -2 $18,278
T23 Bailey Tardy -2 $18,278
T23 Charlotte Thomas -2 $18,278
T23 Dewi Weber -2 $18,278
T31 Stephanie Meadow -1 $13,536
T31 Dana Fall -1 $13,536
T31 Aline Krauter -1 $13,536
T31 Jing Yan -1 $13,536
T31 Arpichaya Yubol -1 $13,536
T31 Mi Hyang Lee -1 $13,536
T31 Christina Kim -1 $13,536
T38 Marina Alex E $9,576
T38 Brittany Altomare E $9,576
T38 Ryann O’Toole E $9,576
T38 Lauren Stephenson E $9,576
T38 Stephanie Kyriacou E $9,576
T38 Xiaowen Yin E $9,576
T38 Sarah Kemp E $9,576
T38 Polly Mack E $9,576
T38 Yuna Nishimura E $9,576
T38 Maria Torres E $9,576
T48 Hyo Joo Kim 1 $6,708
T48 Pauline Roussin-Bouchard 1 $6,708
T48 Sarah Schmelzel 1 $6,708
T48 Gina Kim 1 $6,708
T48 Jennifer Song 1 $6,708
T48 Pavarisa Yoktuan 1 $6,708
T48 Magdalena Simmermacher 1 $6,708
T48 Soo Bin Joo 1 $6,708
T48 Valery Plata 1 $6,708
T57 Hinako Shibuno 2 $5,360
T57 Emily Kristine Pedersen 2 $5,360
T57 Pernilla Lindberg 2 $5,360
T57 Ilhee Lee 2 $5,360
T61 Wei Ling Hsu 3 $4,804
T61 Ines Laklalech 3 $4,804
T61 Su-Hyun Oh 3 $4,804
T61 Amy Olson 3 $4,804
T65 Hae Ran Ryu 4 $4,500
T65 Yae Eun Hong 4 $4,500
T67 Jaravee Boonchant 5 $4,298
T67 Riley Rennell 5 $4,298
T69 Yan Liu 6 $4,062
T69 Luna Sobron Galmes 6 $4,062
T69 Jeong Eun Lee 6 $4,062
72 Yealimi Noh 9 $3,943
73 Cristie Kerr 11 $3,893

[parone_video_player hide-all=”true” autoplay=”true” feed=”20-lpga-video” content-key=”36B36bF2Df4bE2D0D9F7″/]

LPGA rookie Grace Kim wins Lotte Championship in third start as a tour player

The 22-year-old Australian counts Karrie Webb as a mentor.

Rookie Grace Kim clinched her first LPGA title in only her third start as a tour player. The 22-year-old Australian, who counts Karrie Webb as a mentor, smiled her way through the traditional winner’s hula dance at the Lotte Championship. The rookie shied away from nothing en route to a playoff victory over Yu Liu and Yu Jin Sung.

Kim birdied the last two holes in regulation and then birdied the 18th once again in overtime to collect the $300,000 winner’s check. She also played her way into next week’s Chevron Champions, the first major of the season.

“I guess it was a good day after all,” said Kim, who played aggressively throughout the final round.

Sung, who was trying to become the first sponsor invite to win on the LPGA since Lydia Ko in 2013, pulled out her makeup compact on the 18th tee in regulation. After the touchup, the Korean LPGA player made birdie on the last hole to join the playoff.

Sung had held at least a share of the lead since the second round, and faltered for the first time in the playoff when she thinned her third shot back over the green.

Lui was tied for 15th entering the final round and waited well over an hour for the playoff to commence. She closed with a 64 to vault into the clubhouse lead at 12 under.

Georgia Hall, the most decorated player on the board Saturday, looked poised to make a run after making a first-class par save on the ninth. Hall, a major champion, recently finished runner-up at the DIO Implant LA Open and LPGA Drive On Championship and came up short once again in Hawaii after her putter went cold down the stretch. The Englishwoman last won on the LPGA at the 2020 Portland Classic.

Sweden’s Linnea Strom battled at the top until a double-bogey on the par-4 14th gave her an uphill fight. The 2022 Epson Tour Player of the Year needed to get up and down from the front bunker for birdie on the 18th hole to get into the playoff. She closed with a 69 to take a share of fourth.

Kim is a four-time winner of the Karrie Webb Scholarship and was on hand at Hazeltine when fellow scholarship winner Hannah Green won the KPMG Women’s PGA. The scholarship comes with an all-expense-paid trip to an LPGA major with Webb.

“This win is definitely a credit to her for sure,” said Kim, who is the first rookie to win since Atthaya Thitikul captured her second 2022 victory at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last September.

[parone_video_player hide-all=”true” autoplay=”true” feed=”20-lpga-video” content-key=”36B36bF2Df4bE2D0D9F7″/]

LPGA: Dani Holmqvist didn’t just take a tour around Hawaii this week, she flew the helicopter

“The freedom with the helicopter was appealing.”

While it’s not unusual for players to do some sightseeing on the road, especially at a place like Hawaii, Sweden’s Dani Holmqvist didn’t just take the helicopter tour. She flew the helicopter.

The 34-year-old LPGA player began work on her helicopter license last May and has posted photos and images of her flights around the Palm Beach area, where she now makes her home on the east coast of Florida.

“I think it’s cool for women to be accomplished and do things that perhaps mostly men do,” Holmqvist told EpsonTour.com. “It’s just cool. I think helicopters are cool. I was thinking of trying a plane, but I don’t like how you are so dialed in with a flight map and have to plan so much ahead.

“The freedom with the helicopter was appealing.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cq_bY0lAvto/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Holmqvist, who is also studying to become a sommelier, missed the cut at the Lotte. An LPGA rookie in 2014, Holmqvist finished T-21 at LPGA Q-Series last December to earn back her card.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

LPGA: Yu Jin Sung holds lead while Georgia Hall, Celine Boutier, Brooke Henderson lurk at 2023 Lotte Championship

Here’s how it stands after three rounds in Hawaii.

Yu Jin Sung was one of the 36-hole leaders at the LPGA’s Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, and thanks to a third-round 1-under 71, she will enter the final round with a one-shot lead.

Sung is in the field on a sponsor invitation.

On her heels is a group of players at 8 under, one of them being Georgia Hall who ranks second in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.

After a Friday 66, Hall signed for a third-round 1-under 71. Grace Kim and Linnea Strom are with Hall at 8 under.

Nasa Hataoka and Christian Kim are among four golfers sitting two back at 7 under while Celine Boutier and Brooke Henderson are tied for ninth with two others at 6 under, three back.

Henderson and Boutier are each seeking to become the first two-time winner on the LPGA this season.

[parone_video_player hide-all=”true” autoplay=”true” feed=”20-lpga-video” content-key=”dcBAf59fdb8df2C5D981″/]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

Yu Jin Sung, Natthakritta Vongtaveelap lead the LPGA’s Lotte Championship in Hawaii after two rounds

Here’s how things stand after two days on Oahu.

After two rounds of the LPGA’s Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, Yu Jin Sung and Natthakritta Vongtaveelap are tied for the lead at 8 under.

Sung has opened her week with back-to-back 68s while Vongtaveelap followed up her Thursday 66 with a Friday 70.

Georgia Hall, who is ranked second in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, is tied for third alongside Linnea Storm. Hall couldn’t get much going on Thursday, opening the Lotte Championship with a 1-under 71. She played nicely on Day 2, however, signing for a 6-under 66.

Christina Kim, Grace Kim and Nasa Hataoka are tied for fifth at 6 under while Lauren Hartlage is 5 under and in solo eighth. Siyun Liu and Pernilla Lindberg round out the top 10 at 4 under, T-9.

Frida Kinhult, who held the 18-hole lead, shot a second-round 4-over 76 and is tied for 18th.

The tournament concludes Saturday. The first LPGA major of 2023 starts next Thursday outside Houston at the Chevon Championship.

[parone_video_player hide-all=”true” autoplay=”true” feed=”20-lpga-video” content-key=”5EA2DBe8878E53ed20fb”/]

Sweden’s Frida Kinhult grew up playing on a windy island, and she leads after the first round of the LPGA’s Lotte Championship in Hawaii

It was a windy start in Hawaii.

Frida Kinhult grew up on an island in Sweden. This week, she’s playing on the Hawaiian islands. Although the two have stark differences, there is one commonality: wind.

The wind was blowing Wednesday during the first round of the LPGA’s Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach. And it provided difficult conditions for everyone in the field, but Kinhult excelled.

The 23-year-old shot 6-under 66 to share the first-round lead with Natthakritta Vongtaveelap. Kinhult’s round included seven birdies and one bogey, which came on her last hole of the day, the par-3 ninth.

“It was very solid. Nothing crazy really happened,” Kinhult said. “Throughout the day tried to hit some fairways, and then I think I hit most greens, which is helpful in this wind. Just tried to stay patient out there shot by shot for real in this wind. A lot of the math in my head, so probably going to fall asleep pretty good tonight.

“Super happy with the start and pumped for the rest of the week.”

It’s the first time Kinhult has held a share of the 18-hole lead in her LPGA career.

Vongtaveelap had a bogey-free performance, which included an eagle on the par-5 fifth. She credited a strong driver with her great start.

Four players are tied for third at 4 under: Yu Jin Sung, Bailey Tardy, Nasa Hataoka and Hyo Joo Kim.

[parone_video_player hide-all=”true” autoplay=”true” feed=”20-lpga-video” campaign=”394AD66e33D425E28c3b” content-key=”394AD66e33D425E28c3b”/]

Hyo Joo Kim captures Lotte Championship for fifth LPGA win

Since 2012, the champion of the Lotte Championship has gone on to win multiple titles in the same year.

Hyo Joo Kim won for the fifth time on the LPGA Saturday in Hawaii, capturing the Lotte Championship by two shots over Hinako Shibuno.

Kim’s final-round 71 got her to 11 under for the week at at Hoakalei Country Club, which was hosting the event for the first time. She punctuated her win by chipping it close on the 18th hole and then making a short birdie putt.

“I’m proud of that shot,” said Kim. “Maybe I made a lot of people like sit on the edge of their chairs, so I felt great about it.”

Since 2012, the champion of the Lotte has gone on to win multiple LPGA titles in the same year.

Hye-Jin Choi was solo third at 7 under. Ashleigh Buhai was solo fourth at 6 under. Somi Lee was solo fifth at 5 under. Brianna Do, who Monday qualified, played in the final group after a third-round 67 but closed her week with a 5-over 77 to finish tied for 12th. Defending champion Lydia Ko tied for 18th at 1 under.

Six players withdrew from the event, including Brooke Henderson and Danielle Kang, who both did so after their first rounds.

Another ace

CME Group is donating $20,000 for every hole-in-one on the LPGA in 2022 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. There have been 10 aces so far this year with Giulia Molinaro making the latest on the par-3 15th hole in the final round of the Lotte Championship. Molinaro has a 50-degree wedge from 123 yards.

Up next

The LPGA heads to Los Angeles for back-to-back events: the DIO Implant LA Open at Wilshire Country Club and the Palos Verdes Championship at Palos Verdes Golf Club.

[listicle id=778058320]

Hyo Joo Kim leads by three at LPGA’s Lotte Championship; Monday qualifier Brianna Do three back

Ten-year pro Brianna Do, who Monday-qualified for the Lotte Championship, is tied for second.

A four-stroke lead after six holes dwindled to one but Hyo Joo Kim closed strong, rebuilding her lead back to three shots after 54 holes at the Lotte Championship.

A windy day at Hoakalei Country Club in Hawaii made things interesting for the field.

“There was a lot of wind going back and forth. I think it was difficult because it was not specifically directional,” said Kim, who started her week with a pair of 67s. “The pin position was also difficult compared to the first and second rounds. I had a hard time in that regard.”

Two golfers, Hinako Shibuno and Monday Qualifier Brianna Do, are tied for second at 7 under. The qualifier was actually Sunday due the tournament’s Wednesday-to-Saturday format. Do, who graduated from UCLA in 2012 and first earned LPGA membership in 2013, shot up the third-round leaderboard after firing a 5-under 67. She had six birdies and just one bogey in her round.

“I’ve been working to retool my swing a little bit to make it more reliable under pressure and kind of simplifying it and making more efficient. It’s kind of working,” said Do. “I had a few good weeks on the Epson Tour, and the goal was to Monday this week. I made the Monday. Then the goal was to make a check to get in the reshuffle, and I did that. And so now it’s trying to play my way into L.A. next week, just reevaluating goals as I go along.”

Do has never finished higher than 15th in an LPGA event.

Shibuno, who won the 2019 AIG Women’s Open, carded a bogey-free 68 on Friday.

Two-time tournament winner Brooke Henderson withdrew after her second round.

[lawrence-related id=778263109,778263027]

Two-time champ Brooke Henderson withdraws from Lotte Championship

She grabbed the title at the event in both 2018 and 2019.

Prior to the Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club, Brooke Henderson said she was eager to play on West Oahu, as she grabbed the title at the event in both 2018 and 2019.

“Obviously, I won here twice. I have so many great memories,” she told LPGA.com. “I love that trophy. So it’s great to be back here this week.”

The Canadian star withdrew after her second round on Thursday, however, due to an unspecified illness. She posted a pair of bogeys and a double-bogey on her final four holes, and was 10 shots off the pace set by 36-hole leader Hyo Joo Kim.

Henderson, 24, hadn’t finished outside the top 15 in a half-dozen previous starts this season, with her best coming at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, where she finished second.

Henderson entered the week third in the LPGA point standings.

Meanwhile, in pushing out to the lead Kim posted a bogey-free 67 and went into the third round with a three-shot lead over Sarah Kemp.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

As Lydia Ko can attest, Lotte Championship can be springboard to future LPGA success

Since 2012, the champion of the Lotte has gone on to win multiple LPGA titles in the same year.

If history is any indication, the winner of this week’s Lotte Championship will enjoy even more success in 2022.

Since 2012, the champion of the Lotte has gone on to win multiple titles in the same year. For last year’s champion Lydia Ko, that second title came in Saudi Arabia last fall on the Ladies European Tour.

Ko’s seven-stroke victory last year on Oahu broke a near three-year victory drought on the LPGA for the former No. 1.

“I think it was more proving to myself that I can be back in the winner’s circle,” said Ko ahead of this week’s title defense. “I actually finished my season out pretty well. Started my season well in 2020 and 2021. To kind of win here was a confidence booster.”

This year’s Lotte will be held for the first time at Hoakalei Country Club, located 20 miles outside of Honolulu. The tournament starts Wednesday and will conclude on Saturday.

Jennifer Kupcho, the 2022 Chevron champion, joins Ko as a headliner of the event along with fellow 2022 winners Danielle Kang, Leona Maguire and Atthaya Thitikul.

With the course’s close proximity to the ocean, Ko is bracing for a windswept week. Hoakalei’s tighter fairways and sticky rough demand precision.

“There are some tougher holes where the wind is the opposite way to how the green sits,” said Ko, “so that makes the greens a little bit smaller. “I think having like strategic target style in that kind of holes, and then the holes that are going to be a little bit easier or shorter, to really take advantage of those.

Masters inspiration

Brooke Henderson, a two-time winner at the Lotte, said she took inspiration from Masters champion Scottie Scheffler’s post-tournament news conference when he talked about how Sunday morning was so rough that he “cried like a baby.”

An overwhelmed Scheffler told his wife that he didn’t think he was ready for the moment.

“She told me, ‘Who are you to say that you are not ready? Who am I to say that I know what’s best for my life?’ ” said Scheffler.

“And so, what we talked about is that God is in control and that the Lord is leading me; and if today is my time, it’s my time. And if I shot 82 today, you know, somehow I was going to use it for His glory. Gosh, it was a long morning. It was long.”

Henderson, a major champion who also possesses a strong faith, appreciated Scheffler’s vulnerable answer.

“I just really loved a lot of the things he had to say and how he approached the Sunday after feeling not his best in the morning time,” said Henderson. “I really learned a lot actually, so that was pretty cool.”

[listicle id=778058320]