Korean teen plays spoiler in Fujian

South Korean teenager Kim Hyo-joo emerged from a battle on the 18th hole to win the Hyundai China Ladies Open on Sunday as two-time defending champion Kim Hye-youn stumbled down the stretch with a double-bogey six to finish runner-up at the national championship.

With both players at 11-under par going into final hole at the Orient Xiamen Golf Club in Fujian province, 17-year-old Kim Hyo-joo got up-and-down for par. The 23-year-old Kim Hye-youn, however, struggled as her approach landed just off the green. After watching her putt roll 10 feet past the pin, she three-putted.

It was the seventh consecutive year a South Korean won the $400,000 tournament, an event sanctioned by the China LPGA Tour and the LPGA Tour of Korea.

It was Kim Hyo-joo's third win of the year. She won twice as an amateur on the Korea and Japan pro circuits.

"I'm glad to get my first win after turning pro just recently," she said.

"It is a little a bit of a surprise because I'm not in great shape recently as I've struggled with my putter. I came here and put great effort in my putting and the practice paid off."

The Wonju native will take home $80,000.

"There was still a lot of golf to play so I just tried to keep it going," she said. "This win was a gift from God because I never expected to win so quickly (as a pro)."

Kim Hye-youn was unhappy with her finish.

"I feel very disappointed because I was tied for the lead going into the last hole, and I lost at the last hole, especially by my own mistakes," she said. "But China is good to me. This golf course is good to me. I have two wins and one runner-up and next year I will come back and try to win three times."

World No 5 Feng Shanshan of China, the top-ranked player in the field, closed with a 69 to finish tie for third with Koreans Lee Min-young (67) and Jang Ha-na (70). Yoon Seul-a (68) and Lee Jeong-eun (70) were five shots back.

China's Yan Jing, the 16-year-old double silver medalist at the 2010 Asian Games, fired a final-round 70 to finish as top amateur at even par.

"It seems like this golf course suits Korean players," Feng said. "The US Women's Open is held at different courses across the United States, so maybe next year we should change the venue.

"But I'm satisfied with my finish. You know that's a good birdie. It's a good finish for my last event of the year."

(China Daily 12/17/2012 page23)