At the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour's NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship, which concluded on the 10th, Kim Ji-soo's quiet play in the same group drew notable attention amid the title battle between star players Ko Jin-young and Park Hyun-kyung. Wait — the original article says Kim Hyo-joo, not Ko Jin-young. Let me restart this paragraph.
At the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour's NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship, which concluded on the 10th, Kim Ji-soo's (32) quiet play in the same group was also noteworthy amid the title battle between star players Kim Hyo-joo and Park Hyun-kyung. Starting the final third round three strokes behind leader Kim Hyo-joo and tied for second with Park Hyun-kyung, Kim Ji-soo carded an even-par round in the champion group with six birdies, one bogey, one double bogey, and one triple bogey. Finishing at 5 under par — four strokes behind champion Kim Hyo-joo — Kim tied for fourth place.
The triple bogey on the 4th hole (par 5), coming just as she was building a chance to contend after a birdie on the 3rd hole (par 3), proved to be a lasting regret. Her tee shot strayed far to the right, forcing a layup. She reached the green in four and took two putts on the hole, so her score should have been a bogey — but it was recorded as a triple bogey.
The reason was a penalty situation that arose during the layup. After addressing the ball, during her waggle — the motion of lightly moving the club back and forth before a swing to relieve tension — she slightly touched the ball. Kim went ahead and played the shot, then immediately called a rules official to report that the ball had moved during the previous situation.
According to Rule 9.4 of the Rules of Golf, when a ball is moved unintentionally, it must be replaced, and failing to do so results in a two-stroke penalty. Had Kim replaced the ball after the waggle-induced movement, she would have received only a one-stroke penalty. But because she did not replace it, the penalty increased.
Had she ignored the situation and continued play, she might have kept her title hopes alive, but Kim chose otherwise. Asked after the round whether she could have carried on without reporting, Kim said, "Rather than continuing to play with unease and anxiety, I thought it would be better to clearly take the penalty I deserved and try to make a few more birdies on the remaining holes."
The ball had been resting on small twigs, and when Kim looked up at her target line and then returned her gaze to the ball, its position appeared slightly different from before. She went ahead and played the shot, but something felt off, so she mentioned it to playing partner Park Hyun-kyung, and they agreed to call a rules official. "It's a shame I couldn't call the official the moment I felt the ball had moved, but either way, I took all the penalties I was due and finished well. I hope this becomes an opportunity to grow further," Kim said.
Kim Ji-soo, who debuted on the regular tour in 2015, is no stranger to slipping in the prize money rankings and heading to qualifying tournaments or dropping down to the second-tier Dream Tour. But each time, she has managed to perform well in qualifying or post strong results on the Dream Tour to earn her way back. Last year, balancing appearances on both the regular and Dream Tours, she secured a regular tour card for this year by finishing eighth on the Dream Tour money list. The weed-like player who blossoms like a winter camellia nearly bloomed into her first regular tour victory, but will have to wait for the next chance.
Still, she raised her profile by making her presence felt at the NH Investment & Securities tournament, one of the most heavily attended events on the tour. With her mother Lim Byung-ran (58) serving as her caddie, Kim has no main sponsor and wears the logo of an equipment supplier on the front of her cap.
Kim, whose best finish this season had been a tie for 27th, jumped 32 spots in the prize money rankings — from 59th to 29th — thanks to her top-five finish on the day.
