'A disappointing third win' Kim Hyo-joo finishes as runner-up by two strokes in the FM Championship: "My goal was to get one more win"... China's Yin Runing wins [LPGA]

*This content was translated by AI.

A third win for the season narrowly slipped away. Kim Hyo-joo (31, Lotte) finished as runner-up at the LPGA Tour FM Championship (total purse $4.4 million).

On the 31st (Korean time), in the final fourth round of the tournament held at TPC Boston (par 72) in Norton, Massachusetts, USA, Kim recorded three birdies and two bogeys for a 1-under-par 71.

With a total score of 12-under-par 276, Kim finished as runner-up, two strokes behind winner Yin Runing (China, 14-under-par 276). The runner-up prize was $413,842 (approximately 570 million won).

Kim had built momentum by winning back-to-back tournaments in March at the Fortinet Founders Cup and the Ford Championship. After finishing as runner-up at the Dow Championship in June, she returned to second place two months later.

Entering the fourth round, Kim was one stroke behind the leader after three rounds. She made a bogey on the 4th hole (par 4) but birdied the 7th (par 5) and 9th holes (par 4), closing to within one stroke of the lead by halftime.

After birdying the 10th hole (par 4) and capitalizing on a bogey by Yin Runing to take the lead, Kim saw Yin birdie the 12th hole (par 5), reigniting the tight competition. Kim then made a bogey on the 16th hole (par 3), relinquishing the lead once again.

On the final 18th hole (par 5), Kim's tee shot veered left off the fairway into the rough. Her second shot, played from a tricky downhill lie, resulted in another error. After three attempts to get out of the bunker onto the green, she failed to secure a birdie. Yin Runing closed with a birdie, sealing the victory.

According to the LPGA, Kim Hyo-joo said, "I have won at least once every year in the U.S." She added, "My goal is to win one more time before this season ends, but for now, I am focusing on playing my best golf."

Kim Sei-young (33, Sportate) finished with three birdies, two bogeys, and one double bogey, ending at 1-over-par. She tied for fourth place alongside Rose Zhang (USA) with a total of 10-under-par 278.

Yoo Hae-ran (25, Daol Financial Group), Lee So-mi (27), and Im Jin-hee (28, both from Shinhan Financial Group) also finished tied for ninth place at 8-under-par 280, making the top 10.

Yin Runing shed tears after claiming her sixth career LPGA title, 1 year and 10 months after her last victory at the Maybank Championship in October 2024. She also secured the $660,000 winner's prize (approximately 910 million won).

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*This content was translated by AI.