CHANDLER, ARIZONA | Hyo Joo Kim chased down Lilia Vu before defeating her in a playoff to win the LPGA’s Ford Championship at Whirlwind Golf Club on Sunday. It was Kim’s seventh LPGA title and first since October 2023.
“It’s been a while since I’ve won so I was getting a little bit stressed,” Kim said through a translator. “But I did work out a lot during the winter time so now that I have a win I’m a little bit lighthearted.”
The South Korean shot 69-66-67-64 to finish 22-under and beat Vu with a birdie on the playoff hole, No. 18. Starting the final round four shots behind Vu, Kim fired the low round of the day with nine birdies and a bogey. The 29-year-old triumphed over a strong field that contained 19 of the top 20 players in the world, 30 major champions and 51 Olympians.
“The feeling was great today and I just thought one hole at a time, one birdie at a time,” Kim said.
Vu entered the final round with a two-stroke lead at 18-under. After birdieing the first two holes, she slowed down with a string of pars and then a bogey on the ninth, allowing the field to catch up to her. She forced a playoff with a birdie on 17 and an up-and-down par on the 18th hole. Despite coming up short with a final-round 68, Vu said she’s proud of her performance.
“Sometimes the people around me say I’m getting old. But with this win I think I can do a good job.”
Hyo Joo Kim
“I have what it takes, even with or without distance,” Vu said. “I feel like that’s something that’s been lingering like a chip on my shoulder.”
In addition to Vu and Kim, Allisen Corpuz and Jeeno Thitikul held a share of the lead on the final day. Both started the day at 14-under, four shots behind Vu. Corpuz shot a bogey-free 65 to finish third. Thitikul, the 2024 CME Group Tour Championship winner, shot 66 to finish fourth.
“I would say it's a really great week,” Thitikul said. “Some of my iron shots and driver didn’t show up much, but I’m proud and kind of really appreciate everything that’s going well.”
Charley Hull fired the low round of the tournament during the first round, shooting a 63 with nine birdies and no bogeys. After the round, she made headlines talking about her morning routine.
“I was up at 2:30 because I wanted to speak to my family back at home,” said Hull, who eventually finished T11. “Then I ran just a little 7k and then I had some rowing thresholds to do, and then I trained my lower body, so like my legs. I was in the gym from 4 until 6.”
Nelly Korda, the defending champion and No. 1 player in the world, finished T22 at 14-under. Korda’s third-round 73 was her worst round since shooting 75 during the third round of the 2024 AIG Women’s Open (where she finished T2) and first round not shooting par or better since that same event.
Kim’s win vaulted her into the top five of the Race to CME Globe. She says the victory will help her confidence for the rest of the season.
“(Winning) gives me the feeling that I can continue to do it,” Kim said. “Sometimes the people around me say I’m getting old. But with this win I think I can do a good job.”
Everett Munez