Rookie Grace Kim Wins Lotte Championship In Third Event as LPGA Pro

In just her third start as an LPGA professional, Australia’s Grace Kim made a triumphant late charge up the leaderboard to win the Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. 

Kim, 22, birdied both the 17th and 18th holes to force a three-way playoff with China’s Yu Liu and a tournament sponsor’s invite, Yu Jin Sung. After starting the day one shot behind Sung, Kim shot a 4-under 68 to catch the leaders. Liu also surged into the playoff Saturday afternoon with a stellar 8-under 64 in her final round.

Playing the par-5 18th hole for the sudden-death playoff, all three players hit the fairway and pulled out fairway woods for a chance to reach in two. Both Liu and Sung, however, missed left of the well-protected green, leaving awkward up-and-down opportunities for birdie. Kim’s approach took an aggressive line over the water, just barely skirting the greenside bunker on the right and leaving her a much simpler chip.  

Sung skulled her chip long of the green, and Liu left herself a lengthy birdie attempt that she missed, opening the door for Kim. The rookie chipped it to seven feet and jarred the birdie putt for her maiden LPGA victory.

“Having that putt before during my actual round, had a little left-to-righter, but it was a little further left than the original putt. Seeing the girls—seeing Yu miss it left, Yu Jin miss it right I’m like, 'I think this is straight,' so I went straight at it and got it done,” Kim said.

Kim secured her LPGA Tour card for the 2023 season on the Epson Tour last year, where she won the 2022 IOA Golf Classic. In her first two LPGA starts this year, Kim missed a cut and finished T59. With her win in Hawaii, Kim will take home a $300,000 winner’s check—compared to the $4,460 she earned in her first two events on Tour. 

“I’m still speechless that it’s kind of done already and I got the job done,” Kim said. 

Kim had a decorated career as an amateur in Australia: The Greg Norman Junior Masters, the Australian Girls Amateur and the Victoria Women’s Amateur Championship were just a few of her triumphs as a teenager. 

Throughout her young career, Kim has enjoyed mentorship from fellow Australian Karrie Webb, as well as Hannah Green and Minjee Lee. Now she joins her role models as a winner on the LPGA Tour. 

“I think really just puts the cherry on top of my career. I know it’s just the beginning, but seeing how much they really motivated me to get here, yeah, it’s really exciting,” Kim said. “I’m really excited for the fans back at home.”

Kim’s victory gives her a coveted spot in next week’s Chevron Championship at Carlton Woods, the first of the five LPGA majors, which boasts a $5.1 million purse.