Close seniors-and-juniors duo Kim Hyo-joo, 31, and Choi Hye-jin, 27, joined forces under the name "Team Lotte" to finish runner-up on the U.S. LPGA Tour.
Kim and Choi posted a four-round total of 15-under 265 to take sole second place at the LPGA Tour's Dow Championship, which concluded Saturday at Midland Country Club (par 70) in Michigan. They finished just two strokes behind the winning team of Jana Wilson and Gina Kim, both of the United States.
The two-player team event featured foursomes in the first and third rounds, in which players alternate hitting a single ball, and four-ball in the second and fourth rounds, in which each player hits their own ball and the better score counts as the team's. Kim's team, which entered Saturday's fourth-round four-ball as the sole leader by one stroke, cut five strokes with five birdies, but Wilson's team came from behind to win, shaving eight strokes with one eagle and six birdies. Still, the duo earned a solid payday, splitting the sole second-place prize of $399,338 (about 603.8 million won) evenly. Kim, ranked third in the world with two wins this season, moved up in pursuit of first-place Nelly Korda of the United States from second in the Player of the Year points race, while Choi, in her fifth year on tour and still without a win, gained confidence with her best result of the year.
Although they narrowly missed the title, Kim and Choi, both part of Korean women's golf's lineage of prodigies, showed perfect chemistry throughout the tournament. Particularly impressive was a scene in the third round, in which they cut one stroke even amid strong gusts in the foursomes format, where teamwork is crucial. The two, who are also both with Lotte, share a special bond. Choi follows Kim more closely than anyone, going so far as to conduct a live test in March during a tournament with the same model and same specification of driver shaft (Yonex Kaiza Light 4S) that Kim uses. Kim, in turn, cherishes and supports Choi. On the final day, they drew attention by dressing alike in blue-toned tops and white pants. The two players will also compete together at the Korea Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour's Lotte Open, which opens on July 2.
Defending champions Lim Jin-hee and Lee So-mi finished tied for third at 14-under, while Yoon Yi-na and Kim A-rim placed tied for seventh at 11-under.
