2 Koreans finish as runners-up at LPGA event on home soil
Choi Hye-jin of Korea tees off on the first hole during the first round of the BMW Ladies Championship on the LPGA Tour at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, Jeonnam-Gwangju, Sunday. Yonhap
Two Korean players tied for second place at the LPGA Tour event on their home soil Sunday, with one blowing a four-stroke lead and another coming up short after a late push.
Yuri Yoshida of Japan won the BMW Ladies Championship with a four-round total of 17-under 271 at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, some 330 kilometers south of Seoul, after carding a four-under 68 in Sunday's final round at the par-72 course.
Yoshida held off two Koreans, Ryu Hae-ran and Choi Hye-jin, by one stroke for her first career victory.
Ryu started the final round holding a four-stroke lead at 17-under but shot a 73 on Sunday after a bogey-birdie-bogey finish.
Choi, going for her maiden LPGA title in her 125th career start, had a chance to force a playoff but had her birdie putt on the 18th hole lip out for a par and a round of 69.
Yoshida, playing in a group ahead of Ryu, put some early pressure on the Korean with an eagle at the par-5 second, which moved her to 15-under, two behind Ryu.
Yoshida then collected three consecutive birdies starting at the par-4 fifth, the last of which gave her the sole possession of the lead at 18-under.
Ryu Hae-ran of Korea tees off on the first hole during the first round of the BMW Ladies Championship on the LPGA Tour at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, Jeonnam-Gwangju, Sunday. Yonhap
Ryu, meanwhile, rode the par train, unable to make any move even as Yoshida cooled off on the back nine.
Yoshida blinked first with a bogey at the par-3 15th, which dropped her into a tie with Ryu at 17-under.
Choi was also making a back-nine charge, as birdies at the 11th and 13th took her to 16-under, one behind the co-leaders.
Ryu then fell into a tie with Choi after a bogey at the 16th, only her second bogey of the tournament.
Yoshida pulled away from the two Koreans with a birdie at the par-5 17th, as she took a two-stroke lead going into the final hole.
However, the Japanese player gave both Korean players some opening with a three-putt bogey on the 18th hole, as she entered the clubhouse at 17-under.
Neither Ryu nor Choi took advantage.
Ryu pulled her tee shot at the 18th and sent her second shot into a greenside bunker. The ensuing bunker shot left Ryu with a lengthy par attempt to force a playoff, and Ryu, who had struggled with her putter all week, left it short.
Choi found the fairway with her tee shot and gave herself a decent look at a birdie. But the putt that would have set up a playoff with Yoshida rolled out of the cup, making Yoshida the first-time winner.
Ryu, world No. 3, was the top-ranked player in the field this week. She won back-to-back major titles this summer at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship, and was in pursuit of her first LPGA title on her home soil.
Choi has been on the LPGA Tour since 2022, following a successful run in the Korea LPGA (KLPGA) Tour, where she collected 11 victories.
Prior to this week, Choi had made about $7.5 million on the LPGA Tour, more than any other winless player in LPGA history.