Hyo Joo Kim wins LPGA Tour opener in the Bahamas

Hyo Joo Kim won the season-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic on Sunday, relegating Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) to yet another second-place finish.

She finished ahead of compatriot Kim Sei-young, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and American Stacey Lewis.

Kim started the final round one shot behind Nordqvist and Charley Hull, but took the lead when she made four birdies on the front nine, including three in a row from the fourth to the sixth.

South Korea’s Kim Hyo-joo clinched the title after her closing 66 gave her a winning total of 18-under 274.

Her only bogey of the day came on the par-4 16th hole, but she rebounded by sinking a 9-foot putt for a birdie on the par-3 17th.

Then she had three consecutive birdies from 12th to 14th to reach 18-under with four holes to play. However, she restored her two-stroke lead with a birdie at the next hole.

Kim said she exceeded her own expectations for the week. She has nine victories on the Korean LPGA. “But obviously it turned out I won, so I’m really happy about that”.

Meanwhile, Kim, the defending champion, hit a final-round 68, but ruined her chances of victory with a bogey and double bogey at the second and ninth respectively.

Lewis also failed to catch the eventual victor, as she settled for pars over her final two holes.

China’s Liang Wen-chong, who completed his final round on Sunday, finished outright third at 10-under.

The top 15 players in the world rankings are eligible for the Summer Games, but with a limit of four players per nation. Lewis has now had 22 career second-place showings to go with her 11 tour wins. “I knew that on the last hole you can get on in two, so I was a little nervous coming up”.