Despite harsh winds and cold temperatures, rookie Hwang Yu-min proved herself worthy of "super rookie" status in just one tournament.
Hwang finished tied for fifth at 5-under-par 211 after dropping three strokes over the final two holes of the suspended third round at the LPGA Tour's Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday (Korea time).
The tournament was originally scheduled for 72 holes but was reduced to 54 after the final round was canceled due to strong winds and plummeting temperatures. Hwang, whose par putt on the par-3 17th hole was blown off the green by wind when play was suspended the previous day, made an unfortunate triple bogey when play resumed. She closed with a par on the final hole to finish the third round at 1-over 73.
Nelly Korda of the United States won the tournament at 13-under 203 based on third-round standings, while Amy Yang finished solo second at 10-under 206. Brooke Henderson of Canada placed third at 7-under 209, Lydia Ko of New Zealand fourth at 6-under 210, and Miyuu Yamashita of Japan tied for fifth with Hwang. Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand tied for seventh at 4-under 212, followed by Lee So-mi, Ryu Hae-ran, and Kim A-rim tied for ninth at 3-under 213.
While Hwang may feel personal disappointment, she demonstrated world-class performance from the season opener. The statistics prove it.
As the only rookie in the field, she naturally leads the rookie standings with 65 points.
Hwang also tied for the lead in eagles after holing out a slam-dunk shot for eagle on the par-4 18th hole during the second round. Nine players made eagles at the tournament.
She showcased impressive driving power as well. Hwang ranked fourth in driving distance with an average of 270.67 yards, trailing only Korda (272.17 yards), Kim A-rim (271.50 yards), and Thitikul (271.33 yards). She also tied for fourth in greens in regulation at 75.93%, behind only Thitikul (85.19%), Korda (83.33%), and Rio Takeda of Japan (77.78%).
With $91,980 (approximately 130 million won) in earnings, Hwang tied for fifth in the money list, matching her tournament finish. She also tied for fifth in Player of the Year points, CME points, and scoring average (70.33).
Despite the triple bogey on the 17th hole in the third round, Hwang showed excellent short game ability. She saved par from all three greenside bunkers to tie for first in sand save percentage at 100%. Her scrambling rate of 61.54% ranked tied for 14th, a respectable showing.
Perhaps Hwang's greatest takeaway from her debut is the confidence that she can compete with the best on the LPGA Tour. At least in this tournament, rookie Hwang Yu-min proved she belongs in the same class as world No. 1 Thitikul and world No. 2 Korda.