BELMONT, Mich. (AP) – Sei Young Kim won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday for her second victory of the year, beating Carlota Ciganda with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.
After bogeying the 18th in regulation to drop into the playoff, the 23-year-old Kim rebounded on the par-4 hole in the playoff. She hit a 124-yard shot from the deep left rough – so deep that she momentarily lost her ball after looking away – ran onto the green and settled at 3 1/2 feet.
The South Korean player finished with a 3-under 68 at Blythefield to match Ciganda at 17-under 267.
Ciganda, from Spain, parred the final five holes in a bogey-free 67. Winless on the tour with four runner-up finishes, she also hit into the left rough in the playoff. She hit a 156-yard shot through the green and couldn’t get up-and-down for par.
Kim has five career victories, going 3-0 in playoffs. She also won the Founders Cup this year in Phoenix, shooting 63-66-70-62 to match Annika Sorenstam’s LPGA Tour scoring record of 27 under. Last year, she won three times and was the rookie of the year. On 18 in regulation, Kim drove left into the rough under trees, hit her second into thick rough left of the green and missed a 15-foot par putt.