Grace Kim Secures LOTTE Championship After Three-Way Playoff

Kim secured her first LPGA Tour title in just her third start as a rookie, as she overcame Yu Liu and Yu Jin Sung in a playoff

Kim waves to the crowd after holing her putt on the 18th green
(Image credit: Getty Images)

At the LOTTE Championship on Saturday, viewers were treated to a thrilling finale, which saw a three-way playoff between Grace Kim, Yu Liu and Yu Jin Sung, as the trio all finished their final rounds at 12-under-par.

It had been extremely tight throughout the day but, at the first playoff hole, it was 22-year-old, Kim, who claimed her first LPGA Tour title, as the Australian holed a mid-range birdie putt to outlast her fellow competitors and pick up a maiden title in just her third start as a rookie. 

Beginning the fourth round, a number of players were in contention as Sung started one shot ahead of the likes of Major winner, Georgia Hall, with 13 players within three shots of the South Korean.

It was set to be a thrilling watch and, out of the gates, Sung kept her slim advantage intact as she rolled in a birdie putt to be the first player to get to 11-under-par. However, it was a day where the lead would change hands multiple times with that being evident as Linnea Strom went birdie-birdie on the 10th and 11th to take the outright lead.

A costly double bogey on the 14th did ruin her chances for a win though, as the congested leaderboard saw Liu birdie two of her final five holes to set the clubhouse target at 12-under. 

Kim holds the trophy in front of a tournament advert board

Kim celebrates with the trophy

(Image credit: Getty Images)

With not many players left out on the course, it was left to the final group of Kim and Sung to cause the damage, and that's exactly what they did on the final hole, with both finding birdies to force a three-way playoff in Hawaii.

Certainly, if we were basing the playoff on form, it would be Liu who would take it, as her final round 64 dwarfed Kim's 68 and Sung's 69. In the playoff though, it was Kim who took it, with the young Australian safely rolling in her birdie putt to defeat the scores of par and bogey.

Speaking after her win, Kim stated that: "I think just the birdie on 17 was definitely the big momentum changer. Yeah, just kind of speechless right now... I think after bogeying 14, I think I just tried give it my all. Yeah, I tried my best and it came out to be a good result. So, I mean, birdie on 17, again, of course was a great momentum forward, so definitely gave it an aggressive go on 18, and, yeah, birdied it twice, which is good."

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Matt Cradock
Staff Writer

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.

Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.

Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?

Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°

Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°

Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°

Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°

Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x