Kim Hyo-joo (31, Lotte), hailed as a prodigy since her amateur days, won the Fortinet Founders Cup on Sunday (local time) to claim her eighth career LPGA Tour victory. She also surged to No. 1 in this season's money list with $602,140.
Kim carded four birdies and five bogeys for a 1-over-par final round at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club (par-72, 6,542 yards) in Menlo Park, California, but her five-stroke overnight lead was enough to secure a one-shot wire-to-wire victory. The winner's purse was $450,000 (approximately 670 million won). Kim finished at 16-under-par 272, while Nelly Korda of the United States, who shaved three strokes off her score in the final round, finished one shot back at 15-under for sole second place.
Kim, who won the Evian Championship major in 2014 and made her official LPGA Tour debut in 2015, has collected trophies at a steady pace apart from relatively long winless stretches in 2018 and 2019.
The secret to her longevity lies in meticulous equipment research that matches her dedication to practice. While Kim is not overly particular about equipment itself, she has an exceptional feel for whether her clubs are optimally suited to her body. Ahead of this season, she made a fine-tuned adjustment to her driver shaft stiffness, switching from 3X to 4S — a spec that is 3 grams heavier and 5 cycles per minute (CPM) lower in vibration frequency. A representative from Yonex, which sponsors Kim's clubs, said, "Because the CPM dropped while the weight increased, the net difference isn't dramatic, but after testing it, Kim seemed to gain confidence in the new spec."
With a driver dialed in to her body, Kim bombed drives like a player in her twenties. Over the four rounds, Kim averaged 273 yards off the tee — longer than even noted long hitter Kim A-rim (267 yards). Her second-round driving average reached a staggering 290 yards. On the effect of the shaft change, Kim said, "My distance has increased by an average of 12 yards. The lighter weight still allows stable control, which has been helping my game."
Kim's composed and steady course management stood out in the final round. Though world No. 2 Korda briefly drew level, Kim never allowed her to take the lead outright. While Kim treaded water on the front nine with two birdies and two bogeys, Korda trimmed four strokes. Korda birdied the par-5 10th to pull into a tie for the lead. But Kim stayed calm. On the very next hole, the par-4 11th, she birdied to restore a one-shot cushion, then stretched it to two with a 4-meter birdie putt on the par-4 14th. A par save on the par-3 13th proved pivotal — her chip from around the green struck the flagstick and stayed close, preventing a dropped shot. On the par-3 17th, where she led by one, Kim hit her second shot from the rough close to the pin to save par again. Korda missed a short par putt on the same hole, falling two back and effectively ending the contest. Kim made bogey on the par-5 18th after finding bunkers twice, but it did not affect the outcome.
On the moment she was caught at the top of the leaderboard, Kim said, "I wasn't shaken much. I tried to stay focused on my shots and my game." She added, "This tournament is especially meaningful because it's the same event I won as a rookie in 2015, so returning to the top here means a lot." She reflected, "Two par saves on the back nine were decisive. My ball-striking wasn't great, but I scrambled well."
Looking at the tournament as a whole, Kim's miserly 27-putt third round, in which she slashed six strokes off her score, proved crucial. She racked up one eagle and four birdies in just the first six holes that day. Kim found success with a L.A.B. Golf Link.2.1 putter she brought out for the first time this week. She does not have a putter sponsorship deal and switches models based on feel. She used an Odyssey putter through last week, and there is a strong chance she will use yet another model when she bids for back-to-back wins at this week's Ford Championship.
As for wedges, Kim used Titleist Vokey SM10 clubs in 56- and 60-degree lofts when she won the Ford Championship a year ago, and switched to SM11 models in 48, 52, and 58 degrees for this event. Her ball of choice is the 2023 model of the Titleist Pro V1x.
Meanwhile, South Korea extended its winning streak to two consecutive tournaments following Lee Mi-hyang's victory at the Blue Bay event in China. It marks the first time since Park Hee-young and Park In-bee in 2020 that Korean players have notched two wins in the first five events of the season.
Kim Se-young and Lim Jin-hee tied for third at 11-under, while Ryu Hae-ran tied for fifth at 10-under, meaning four of the 11 players inside the top 10 were Korean.