Kim holds on to win LPGA tournament
Hyo Joo Kim won the season-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic on Sunday, relegating Stacy Lewis to yet another second-place finish.
Kim rebounded from a bogey on the 16th hole with a 9-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th and closed with a par for a two-stroke victory over Lewis, 2015 champion Sei Young Kim and Anna Nordqvist.
“Really happy that I won here because it’s just like a really good start to the season,” Hyo Joo Kim said through fellow South Korean player Minjee Lee. “Good vibes.”
Hyo Joo Kim shot a 7-under 66 at the breezy Ocean Club to finish at 18-under 274. The 20-year-old player has three LPGA Tour victories, also winning the 2014 Evian Championship and 2015 Founders Cup. She has nine victories on the Korean LPGA.
“She’s just so used to winning,” caddie Dean Herden said. “I mean, she’s won so many times in Korea that she’s very comfortable when she’s on top of the leaderboard, and getting there. Her iron play got better today. Didn’t hit the iron shots very well yesterday, hit a lot of thin shots. Last night we were working on something and today she was able to hit a lot more solid shots.”
Locally, Rachel Rohanna, a graduate of Waynesburg High School, shot a final-round 80, 7 over par, and finished the tournament at 14 over par, in 80th place and won $2,452.
Needing an eagle to force a playoff, Lewis parred the par-5 18th for a 68. She has nine runner-up finishes in a 40-event victory drought that dates to June 2014. The 11-time tour winner has 22 career second-place finishes.
“Seven under’s a great score and I knew it was going to take something like that today on this golf course with less wind,” Lewis said. “You know you needed to shoot a number. Just got off to a bit of a slow start. Making bogey on 8 really hurt, but proud of the way I came back on the back nine and gave myself a chance.”
Snedeker leads Farmers: Brandt Snedeker closed with one of his best rounds ever Sunday and now has to wait to see if it’s enough to win the Farmers Insurance Open.
Snedeker was the only player to finish at par or better in the raging wind and rain at Torrey Pines. He closed with a 3-under 69, going the final 17 holes without a bogey.
The gusts became so severe that tents the South Course was evacuated not long after Snedeker finished. The final round was suspended until this morning.
Snedeker posted a 6-under 282.
Jimmy Walker was at 7-under par through 10 holes, while K.J. Choi was at 6 under and playing with Walker and Scott Brown in the final group.
Locally, Steve Wheatcroft and Brendon Todd were not in the field this week.
Armour wins Web.com event: Ryan Armour won the Web.com Tour’s season-opening Panama Claro Championship for his first victory in 217 career starts.
The 40-year-old former Ohio State player closed with a 6-under 64 for a three-stroke victory over Kyle Thompson. Armour finished at 12-under 268 at Panama Golf Club.