Sei Young Kim

What’s scarier for Wichanee Meechai: Solo lead at the U.S. Women’s Open or the haunted house she’s renting?

Only time will tell if the rental is a scarier place than the solo lead in a U.S. Open.

The list of big names who missed the cut at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open is a Who’s Who in the game: Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang, In Gee Chun, Brooke Henderson, Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko. They’re all going home after 36 holes, even with the cut coming in at 8 over.

But there are three recent major champions in contention after two days, including the winners of two of the last three U.S. Women’s Opens.

Wichanee Meechai leads the way at 4 under with Andrea Lee two shots back. They are the only two players to post a round in the 60s in each of the first two rounds.

Only four players finished under par through 36 holes and two are major champions: Minjee Lee, winner of the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open and 2021 Amundi Evian, and Yuka Saso, who won the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open.

Just behind those four are eight golfers tied for fifth at 1 over, a group that includes another recent major winner, 2019 AIG Women’s British Open champ Hinako Shibuno.

Also tied for fifth are two amateurs, Asterisk Talley and Megan Schofill. A total of four amateurs made the cut.

U.S. Women’s Open: Photos | How to watch | Leaderboard

The difficult Lancaster Country Club layout has certainly turned things sideways this week, making for an unpredictable leaderboard.

“It’s really tough out there. The course requires all of your attention on every single golf shot,” said Lee. “Just staying super patient and trying to hit fairways, hit greens and take the birdies when I can. But par is a really, really good score out here, so that’s what I’m going to try and do on the weekend, just try and make as many pars as I can.”

Lee, who won once on tour in 2022, has a career-best T-9 in a major at last year’s AIG Women’s British Open.

Minjee Lee, meanwhile, sounded a little less stressed about the layout and conditions.

“I’m really enjoying my time so far,” she said. “The course is a really lovely walk, so a lot of different type of holes, so a lot of character to the course. It’s just nice to look at, and it’s tricky. The rough is up. The greens are fast. That’s what I expect for a U.S. Open. Yeah, I’m enjoying it.”

So about that haunted house…

Thailand’s Meechai, 31, has yet to win on the LPGA. In seven events in 2024, she’s missed three cuts and has just one top 10, a T-7 at the Cognizant Founders Cup three weeks ago. She is in unchartered waters for sure.

“To be honest, before the tee time, I was so nervous,” she admitted. “My hands just shaking, my brain just stop working. But trying to commit to the shot. I know that the course is hard; just go with the flow probably. That’s my point, and just have fun.”

Meechai has never held the lead in a tournament before.

“Never. This is my first time, and it’s U.S. Open, so I get more nervous now, I think,” she said.

She was later asked if she was staying with anyone this week but said it’s just her in a rental house.

“I’m the only one in my house right now. I was going to book the hotel because it’s very last minute that I made the qualifying. I booked the hotel already, and Pajaree [Anannarukarn, a fellow Thai pro], she just told me that she have a house because she book it like way long time ago, but she didn’t make it, and she asked me do you want a house.

“So I was like, OK, I prefer the house because I can do laundry, I can cook, everything. So I take the house and then stay, kind of haunted house a little bit. I’m so scared the first night but it’s fine now.

“But I think that probably if they have a ghost in that house, I think the ghost like me.”

Only time will tell if the rental is a scarier place than the solo lead in a U.S. Open.

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Early contender Sei Young Kim withdraws from 2024 U.S. Women’s Open

Kim was making her 11th Women’s Open start.

LANCASTER, Pa. – Sei Young Kim withdrew from the second round of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open with a back injury after starting the day in a share of fifth.

Kim, making her 11th Women’s Open start, shot 70 in the opening round. On Friday, she was six over after 12 holes when she pulled out of the tournament.

Kim had finished in the top 20 at this event in her last five appearances. A 12-time winner on the LPGA, the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA champion last won on tour at the 2020 Pelican Women’s Championship. She struggled with a back injury in the 2019 season, changing her swing and workout regimen to heal.

U.S. Women’s Open: Photos | How to watch | Leaderboard

Rookie Hae Ran Ryu wins first LPGA title at Walmart NW Arkansas

Lexi Thompson, fresh off the Solheim Cup, posts first top-10 of the season on the LPGA.

Rookie Hae Ran Ryu began the final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship with a two-stroke advantage, and when the leaderboard bunched up Sunday afternoon, Ryu hit the gas on the back nine with a closing 29 to win by three.

The shot of the day came when Ryu hit her second shot within inches of an albatross on the par-5 14th. The well-struck 7-iron set up a short eagle putt.

Aim. On. Point.

Hae Ran Ryu is giving herself great looks at @NWAChampionship today ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/vVe5I2XNpN

— LPGA (@LPGA) October 1, 2023

Ryu, a five-time winner on the KLPGA, finished the tournament at 19-under 194 for the 54-hole event. She’s the fifth rookie to win this season, setting a new LPGA benchmark.

Sweden’s Linnea Strom finished solo second after a closing 64.

Ryu said she struggled with distance control on the front nine, recording a couple of bogeys after hitting her approach shots too far. She adjusted, and checked off a major goal for the year.

“Before the season, I want to get a Rookie of the Year,” said Ryu, “but now I got winner on the LPGA and I want to get Rookie of the Year and so now, so meaningful.”

Ryu came into the Arkansas event with a 113-point lead in the rookie race despite not yet winning on tour.

Lexi Thompson, coming off a strong Solheim Cup showing, posted her best finish of the season. The veteran American player briefly held a share of the lead at the midway point but played the last six holes in even par. Still, her closing 66 gives momentum to what’s easily been the worst season of her career. Prior to the Arkansas event, Thompson’s lone top-20 finish of the year came at the Kroger Queen City Championship.

“It’s the highest honor,” said Thompson of playing in her sixth Solheim last week, “and to be able to pull off some good shots and make some putts for my country, there is absolutely no better feeling.”

Lexi Thompson of the United States plays her shot from the 16th tee during the Final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G at Pinnacle Country Club on October 01, 2023 in Rogers, Arkansas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Bianca Pagdanganan shot 65-64 over the weekend to vault into a share of third. The long-hitting Pagdanganan was 179th coming into the week on the CME points list and and in danger of losing her card. She’s projected to move to 77th after her strong performance in Rogers, Arkansas.

Pagdanganan played the last three holes birdie-birdie-eagle.

Ryu took home $345,000 for the victory.

Meet some of the longest-standing and successful player/caddie duos on the LPGA

Here’s a list of players and caddies who have found a good rhythm and seem to be in it for the long haul.

There’s turnover every season when it comes to player-caddie partnerships on the LPGA, particularly at the start of the year. World No. 1 Lydia Ko has changed caddies regularly throughout her career, including this season, despite having an enormously strong 2022.

Minjee Lee, who won a couple majors in the past two years, will begin 2023 with a new looper after enjoying much success with veteran Jason Gilroyed.

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Plenty more players have made changes, but there are a number who have stood the test of time. While not by any means exhaustive, here’s a list of players and caddies who have found a good rhythm and seem to be in it for the long haul:

After a month off, Ryann O’Toole contending again, this time at Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

After opening with a 7-under 64, Ryann O’Toole sits tied atop a crowded leaderboard.

Ryann O’Toole had a solo ninth-place finish in Portland a week ago. It was just her third top 10 this LPGA season. It was also the first tournament she played in a month.

A week later, after opening with a 7-under 64, O’Toole sits tied atop a crowded leaderboard at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

It sounds like the four weeks away from competition made for a nice reset.

“It just depends on where you are in life. Sometimes you’re just at a point where, ‘Hey, I got some personal stuff going on. I need to take some me time. Need to sort the brain out,'” she said.

“It’s hard to come out here and perform, especially if your mind is elsewhere. I was curious how that was going to be. I don’t like to usually take that many tournaments off, but sometimes it’s good. I guess it is showing itself now that it’s important.”

O’Toole is among six golfers tied for the lead after shooting 7-under rounds of 64, including Megan Khang, Yuka Saso, Lauren Coughlin from the early wave and later, Jeongeun Lee5 and Sei Young Kim, at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas. O’Toole was the only one of the six to par the par-5 18th hole; Coughlin was the only one to eagle it. The others all birdied it.

O’Toole did have six straight birdies on her front nine starting at No. 2 and had eight in all with just one bogey. Yet, after he round, she talked like she could’ve had more circles on her card.

“I definitely felt like I left a lot out there still,” she said after 18 holes of a 54-hole tournament. “Eight birdies, but I still felt like there was a ton left out there, especially on the back side.”

O’Toole, who hit all 18 greens, was among those in the early wave and she had a few ideas on how to fill the time Friday afternoon.

“Just going to do a cool-down practice, couple putts, hit some balls, and probably go check out Bentonville, get a tea somewhere, walk around. There is a lot to do here. Rogers, Arkansas is pretty fun. I do like coming here,” she said.

ESPN+ streaming coverage

Friday’s first round of TV coverage was tape-delayed on Golf Channel but the network will carry the second and final rounds.

In addition, for a second straight week, ESPN+ will have a “featured groups” coverage during both the morning and afternoon waves on all three tournament days.

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Prize money payouts for all the golfers at the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Prize money at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship has jumped 300 percent since 2014.

Prize money at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship has jumped a whooping 300 percent since 2014.

That means this year’s winner, In Gee Chun, is taking home $1,350,000 for claiming the third major on the LPGA’s 2022 schedule.

By comparison, Minjee Lee earned $1,800,000, the largest paycheck in women’s golf history, for her win earlier this month at the U.S. Women’s Open. Jennifer Kupcho took home $750,000 after she collected her first LPGA title at the Chevron Championship.

Lee’s 1-2 finish at the last two majors has earned her $2,518,827 in those two events alone.

The 2022 KPMG was staged at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, marking the first time a professional women’s event has been held at the historic Blue Course.

KPMG: Leaderboard | Photos

Position	Player	Score	Earnings
1	In Gee Chun	-5	$1,350,000
T2	Minjee Lee	-4	$718,827
T2	Lexi Thompson	-4	$718,827
4	Atthaya Thitikul	-3	$467,580
T5	Sei Young Kim	-1	$274,166
T5	Hannah Green	-1	$274,166
T5	Hyo Joo Kim	-1	$274,166
T5	Nasa Hataoka	-1	$274,166
T5	Hye Jin Choi	-1	$274,166
T10	Jessica Korda	E	$156,315
T10	Eun-Hee Ji	E	$156,315
T10	Lilia Vu	E	$156,315
T10	Stephanie Meadow	E	$156,315
T10	Stephanie Kyriacou	E	$156,315
T10	Jennifer Chang	E	$156,315
T16	Brooke Henderson	1	$114,045
T16	Anna Nordqvist	1	$114,045
T16	Jennifer Kupcho	1	$114,045
T16	Chella Choi	1	$114,045
T16	Lauren Coughlin	1	$114,045
T21	Georgia Hall	2	$95,799
T21	In-Kyung Kim	2	$95,799
T21	Ashleigh Buhai	2	$95,799
T21	Pei-Yun Chien	2	$95,799
T25	Inbee Park	3	$80,744
T25	Madelene Sagstrom	3	$80,744
T25	Jenny Shin	3	$80,744
T25	Angel Yin	3	$80,744
T25	Jeong Eun Lee	3	$80,744
T30	Nelly Korda	4	$59,987
T30	Jin Young Ko	4	$59,987
T30	Yuka Saso	4	$59,987
T30	Melissa Reid	4	$59,987
T30	Pajaree Anannarukarn	4	$59,987
T30	Mao Saigo	4	$59,987
T30	Alison Lee	4	$59,987
T30	Allisen Corpuz	4	$59,987
T30	Paula Reto	4	$59,987
T30	Caroline Inglis	4	$59,987
T40	Gaby Lopez	5	$42,957
T40	Wei Ling Hsu	5	$42,957
T40	Matilda Castren	5	$42,957
T40	Kelly Tan	5	$42,957
T40	Aditi Ashok	5	$42,957
T40	Sarah Kemp	5	$42,957
T46	Lydia Ko	6	$36,037
T46	Xiyu Lin	6	$36,037
T46	Cheyenne Knight	6	$36,037
49	So Yeon Ryu	7	$33,299
T50	Mi Rim Lee	8	$30,563
T50	A Lim Kim	8	$30,563
T50	Stacy Lewis	8	$30,563
T50	Emily Kristine Pedersen	8	$30,563
T54	Ariya Jutanugarn	9	$26,002
T54	Moriya Jutanugarn	9	$26,002
T54	Ryann O’Toole	9	$26,002
T54	Leona Maguire	9	$26,002
T54	Pornanong Phatlum	9	$26,002
T54	Elizabeth Szokol	9	$26,002
T60	Brittany Altomare	10	$22,583
T60	Muni He	10	$22,583
T62	Sung Hyun Park	11	$21,667
T62	Brianna Do	11	$21,667
64	Na Rin An	12	$20,987
T65	Sophia Schubert	13	$20,072
T65	Bianca Pagdanganan	13	$20,072
T65	Robynn Ree	13	$20,072
T68	Gerina Mendoza Piller	15	$18,929
T68	Jennifer Song	15	$18,929
70	Cydney Clanton	18	$18,250
71	Maude-Aimee Leblanc	20	$18,023

“Through the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, we are accelerating the advancement, development and empowerment of women both on and off the golf course,” Paul Knopp, KPMG U.S. Chair and CEO, previously said in a statement.

“The significantly increased purse size – along with top courses in major markets, network TV coverage, and advanced data and analytics capabilities provided via KPMG Performance Insights – are tangible examples of our commitment to elevate the world-class athletes on the LPGA Tour.”

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CME Group Tour Championship: 18 players to watch in Naples

With $1.5 million on the line, here are 18 players to watch this week in Naples.

It’s all come down to this. The last tournament of the LPGA tour season is this week at Tiburon Golf Course. The CME Group Tour Championship is loaded with star power, including last week’s winner of the Pelican Women’s Championship and World No. 1, Nelly Korda.

Lexi Thompson, who fell short down the stretch at the Pelican and is surely looking to bounce back, is also in the field.

The winner of the CME Group Tour Championship will be walking away with $1.5 million, the largest prize in the history of women’s golf.

Tiburon will play as a par 72 throughout the week, measuring in at 6,556 yards.

Here are 18 players in the field to keep your eye on.

Jin Young Ko

BMW Ladies Championship - Round One — Jin Young Ko of South Korea tees off on the fifth hole during the first round of the BMW Ladies Championship at LPGA International Busan on October 21, 2021 in Busan, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Age: 26
Home country: South Korea
Resides: Seoul, South Korea
LPGA Career Victories: 11
Race to CME Globe: 1

Nelly Korda

Age: 23
Home country: U.S.
Resides: Bradenton
LPGA Career Victories: 7
Race to CME Globe: 2

Lydia Ko

Age: 24
Home country: New Zealand
Resides: Orlando
LPGA Career Victories: 16
Race to CME Globe: 3

Patty Tavatanakit

Age: 22
Home country: Thailand
Resides: U.S.
LPGA Career Victories: 1
Race to CME Globe: 4

Inbee Park

Age: 33
Home country: South Korea
Resides: Las Vegas
LPGA Career Victories: 21
Race to CME Globe: 5

Ariya Jutanugarn

The Amundi Evian Championship - Day Four — Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand plays her shot from the first tee during day four of the The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 25, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Age: 25
Home country: Thailand
Resides: Bangkok, Thailand
LPGA Career Victories: 12
Race to CME Globe: 6

Lexi Thompson

AIG Women's British Open — Lexi Thompson and her caddie on the first tee during the first round of the AIG Women’s British Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 19, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Age: 26
Home country: U.S.
Resides: Coral Springs
LPGA Career Victories: 11
Race to CME Globe: 7

Brooke Henderson

AIG Women's Open — Brooke Henderson of Canada tees off on the 9th hole during the pro-am prior to the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 18, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Age: 24
Home country: Canada
Resides: Smiths Falls, Ontario/Miromar Lakes
LPGA Career Victories: 10
Race to CME Globe: 8

Minjee Lee

AIG Women's Open - Day Three — Minjee Lee of Australia waves at the 18th hole during Day Three of the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 21, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Age: 25
Home country: Australia
Resides: Perth, Australia
LPGA Career Victories: 6
Race to CME Globe: 9

Nasa Hataoka

Age: 22
Home country: Japan
Resides: Japan
LPGA Career Victories: 5
Race to CME Globe: 10

Age: 28
Home country: South Korea
Resides: South Korea
LPGA Career Victories: 12
Race to CME Globe: 11

Danielle Kang

Danielle Kang of Team USA reacts during competition rounds of the Solheim Cup golf tournament at Inverness Club. (Photo: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports)

Age: 29
Home country: U.S.
Resides: Las Vegas
LPGA Career Victories: 5
Race to CME Globe: 12

Jessica Korda

Olympic women's golf, Tokyo 2021 — Jessica Korda (USA) tees of on the ninth hole during the first round of the women’s individual stroke play of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 28
Home country: U.S.
Resides: Bradenton
LPGA Career Victories: 6
Race to CME Globe: 13

Moriya Jutanugarn

Age: 27
Home country: Thailand
Resides: Thailand
LPGA Career Victories: 2
Race to CME Globe: 14

Jeongeun Lee6

Age: 25
Home country: South Korea
Resides: South Korea
LPGA Career Victories: 1
Race to CME Globe: 15

Yuka Saso

Age: 20
Home country: Philippines
Resides: Philippines
LPGA Career Victories: 1
Race to CME Globe: 16

Leona Maguire

Age: 26
Home country: Ireland
Resides: Ireland
LPGA Career Victories: 0
Race to CME Globe: 17

Celine Boutier

Age: 28
Home country: France
Resides: France/Dallas
LPGA Career Victories: 2
Race to CME Globe: 18

Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/

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Defending champion Sei Young Kim leads Jin Young Ko by one at CME Group Tour Championship

CME Group Tour Championship defending champ Sei Young Kim holds a one-stroke lead over World No. 1 Jin Young Ko going into the final round.

Sei Young Kim was smiling. Not just because she was in the lead after three rounds of the CME Group Tour Championship on Saturday.

“Warm weather,” she said. “I love Florida.”

The defending champion stumbled with a missed short par putt on the 18th hole, but holds a one-stroke lead over World No. 1 Jin Young Ko going into the final round.

“It’s not feel good,” Kim said of the three-putt bogey. “After the bogey I feel was – if I had more hole I just try to re-bounce, but I don’t have anymore holes today.”

Kim and Ko switched positions, but that was about it as far as any drama in the third round at the top. But several moved into position, especially after Kim’s final-hole bogey.

Kim built a three-shot lead over Ko, after 13 holes, but played the final five holes in 1 over. Ko’s birdie out of the greenside bunker on No. 17 had drawn her within two.

Georgia Hall, the 2018 Women’s British Open champion, is in third, three back. Lexi Thompson, the winner in Naples in 2018, never got going, shooting a 1-under 71 and is tied for fourth with Brooke Henderson, Charley Hull (another winner in Naples), Minjee Lee, and Austin Ernst.

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Ko had a one-shot lead at the start of the round, but Kim caught her with a birdie on No. 2 and passed her with birdies on Nos. 5 and 7, then added birdies on Nos. 10, 11 and 13.

“Always fun playing with her,” Ko said. “We play together last year and we played — we practiced together at the U.S. Open last week. So we know each other.

“But this is competition, so we are close but we have to separate on the course.”

Even when Kim got in trouble, she wiggled out of it, until the final hole. She got up and down for par on the par-3 12th after her shot went just to the left of the cart path. She got in trouble again on the par-5 17th, with her drive well right, but also saved par.

“I made a long putt, and then I was – I got the good momentum,” Kim said of the birdie on No. 13. “But I try to keep the same momentum but it was tough. So, yeah, I try to finish strong, but I had three-putt the hole 18, so I just, yeah, little disappointed with that. I just keep it up (Sunday).”

But Kim has two victories, including a major in this shortened LPGA Tour season, so adding a third is on the docket.

“I just keep, yeah, attack every tournament,” she said. “I mean, especially this years I had a good two win(s) already, but I think that win, the reason why is I play very aggressive in this year and keep push myself.

“I set my goal already before came here, and I try to reach my goal.”

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Sei Young Kim coasts to second consecutive victory, sets eyes on No. 1 ranking

Six weeks after topping the field at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her first major title, Sei Young Kim picked up where she left off

BELLEAIR, Florida – Sei Young Kim’s tour friends, led by In Gee Chun, who clutched a 2008 bottle of Dom Pérignon, rushed the 18th green to soak the hottest player on the LPGA. The champagne celebration was courtesy of Pelican Golf Club, and Kim made sure to get a taste.

“Everything feels like take a shower in the champagne,” said Kim. “I still smell … feels, you know, like (a) little drunk.”

Kim, 27, broke into that contagious smile of hers as she recounted the celebratory scene. Six weeks after she trounced the field at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her first major title, she came back to the tour and picked up where she left off, winning the inaugural Pelican Women’s Championship by three strokes over Ally McDonald. On a week when only 19 players broke par on the windswept west coast of Florida, Kim finished at 14-under 266. Stephanie Meadow’s third-place showing marked her best finish since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst.

Kim’s 12th career title on the LPGA isn’t enough to overtake top-ranked Jin Young Ko, but she’s never been closer. Becoming the No. 1-ranked player happens to be Kim’s top goal for 2020.

“Before, Olympic gold medal was my biggest goal in this year,” she said, “but it cancel. Might be next year.”

Win twice in 2020. ✅
Celebrate accordingly. ✅ @pelicanlpga | @SY_KIM_lpga pic.twitter.com/K7fzFPLrXA

— LPGA (@LPGA) November 22, 2020

Kim’s dozen titles makes her the third-winningest South Korean in LPGA history. She passes Jiyai Shin (11) and trails only LPGA Hall of Famers Se Ri Pak (25) and Inbee Park (20).

The third-degree blackbelt isn’t one to back down from a fight. In the third round, when McDonald aced the par-3 12th hole to cut Kim’s lead to one stroke, Kim responded by making four consecutive birdies on Nos. 14-17.

In Sunday’s final round, Kim’s lead grew as high as six early on in the front nine. As Kim headed to the 10th tee eating a sandwich, however, her lead over McDonald had shrunk to three. She got out her makeup compact on the tee box to powder her face before mounting her final-round charge. Needless to say, she didn’t look concerned.

“She’s comfortable and confident,” said Kim’s longtime caddie Paul Fusco, “which is right where you need to be.”

A series of tremendous up-and-downs for par early on in the back nine kept Kim’s cushion intact. A birdie on the par-5 14th zapped some of the pressure that had been building as her lead grew to four.

A large number of Pelican’s members were out watching the final group, including Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club.

By the time the final threesome reached the 18th, Kim held a five-shot advantage and a sea of members wearing blue blazers had surrounded the green. There’s speculation that Kim might get a jacket of her own. The blue would pair nicely with Kim’s red skort.

Lots of blue blazers on the 18th with winner Sei Young Kim. pic.twitter.com/5EoeUc2Ckx

— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) November 22, 2020

Kim started wearing Sunday red at age 14 at the Korean Women’s Amateur Championship.

“Just imitating Tiger,” she said “but different way. … He wearing a T-shirt, but I wearing pants.”

Tiger Woods certainly never celebrated a major championship quite like Kim did last month. After winning the KPMG at Aronimink Golf Club, Kim flew back to South Korea for an emotional reunion with her family. She then had to spend two weeks in quarantine back at her parents’ home in Seoul. They put all her meals outside her bedroom door as she isolated with movies, a drawing pad and phone calls to friends.

Kim spent four weeks back home in Korea and soaked up the long-awaited spoils of victory. She then flew back home to Dallas by herself, where she practiced for five days before heading to Florida.

Next week she’ll head to Houston with Fusco to get two practice rounds in at Champions Golf Club ahead of the U.S. Women’s Open. She’ll skip the Volunteers of America Classic in two weeks in order to stay fresh for the USWO and CME Group Tour Championship, which she won last year, taking home $1.5 million, the biggest paycheck in women’s golf history.

The CME victory last November allowed Kim to play more relaxed at the KPMG. The victory at KPMG, she figures, will help when she goes for a second major title in Houston.

“Feels happy when I walk on the course,” she said.

Feels even better after that lavish champagne.

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Inspired by Michael Jordan documentary, Sei Young Kim opens up 5-shot lead at Pelican

At the Pelican Women’s Championship, Sei Young Kim holds a five-shot lead entering the final round at Pelican Golf Club.

BELLEAIR, Florida – Sei Young Kim found inspiration on Netflix of all places, diving into Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance” documentary ahead of weekend play at the Pelican Women’s Championship. The recent major winner promptly went out and extended her lead to five strokes over Ally McDonald, who won the LPGA Drive On Championship last month.

Not even an ace from McDonald could shake Kim, whose advantage immediately shrunk from three strokes to one. The third-degree black belt in Taekwondo responded with four consecutive birdies on Nos. 14-17 to card a 6-under 64. She’s at 14-under for the tournament when only 18 players have managed to break par.

The 11-time winner on the LPGA looks to become the first player since Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016 to follow her first major title with a victory in her next start.

After the round Kim was asked if she felt pressure to prove herself with fellow South Koreans Jin Young Ko and Sung Hyun Park getting most of the attention in recent years.

“Kind of, a little bit,” she said. “Because if I say no, it’s maybe a lie. But, yeah, I’m very good rival each other. If you have a good rival, I am able to improve myself.”

Kim recorded only one bogey over the last 36 holes.

Former No. 1 Lydia Ko, who sits in fourth place, seven strokes back, calls Kim’s run of late “super impressive.”

“Her first major I guess was at KPMG,” said Ko, “and when there is that kind of pressure, I know what it feels like to be in that position. And the way she finished was absolutely incredible.”

In Saturday’s wind-swept round, Kim, 27, nearly aced the par-3 third hole with a 7-iron when her ball hit the flagstick and lipped out of the hole. McDonald’s hole-in-one on the par-3 12^th, the first of her LPGA career, came with a pitching wedge from 132 yards.

“We had some people standing back at the tee, some people on the green,” said McDonald. “So that was obviously like the biggest reaction for anything. I’m pretty sure I just reacted with my hands up and then Dan I and got really excited and stuff. Sei Young was great.”

🚨 ACE ALERT 🚨

And just like that, @allymc10 is within one at the @pelicanlpga! 😤#SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/Y78aYb03BD

— LPGA (@LPGA) November 21, 2020

McDonald made the first ace of her life during a practice round at the Marathon Classic in her second year on tour. Her second one came at a Winter Shootout at Old Waverly Golf Club and a third at an event that had her set up on a par 3, hitting the same shot over and over again. That one took about 12 swings.

“You can stand on a par 3 all day and still not make one,” she said, “just happened to be the one.”

While Pelican is open off the tee, it’s easy to make big numbers with an aggressive approach. Even though the gap is wide, McDonald doesn’t plan to stray from what has worked so far in the final round.

“I’m just kind of going to stick with my game plan and try to execute the shots that strategically might be a 20-footer,” she said, “and just trust that I’m rolling it well to roll a few of those in.”

Kim, meanwhile, will prepare with a plateful of carbs and a movie date with Jordan. A winning combination if there ever was one.

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