LPGA TOUR
The Ascendant LPGA
Kim Wins The Ascendant LPGA In Texas. Kemp Fourth
Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim outclassed the field to win The Ascendant LPGA at the Old American Golf Club in Texas. The 28-year-old scored a four-shot victory over the Phillipine’s Bianca Pagdanganan and Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul. It was Kim’s sixth LPGA Tour title. The former major champion now boasts one win in three consecutive LPGA Tour seasons.
Kim, ranked world No. 7, took a five-shot into the final round after scores of 64, 68 and 70. The 2014 Evian champion closed out the event with a 2-under 69 on Sunday to reach 13-under.
Pagdanganan and Thitikul took a share of second place at 9-under. Both chasers fired a stunning 6-under 65 final round. Pagdanganan, aged 25, finished her day with seven birdies over the closing 11 holes. It was her career-best finish on the LPGA Tour. Thitikul closed out her event with five birdies over the final seven holes. The rising star was the 2022 LPGA Tour Rookie of The Year and spent weeks as world No. 1.
Australia’s Sarah Kemp rallied late in her round on Sunday to claim solo fourth place. The 37-year-old from Sydney birdied the final two holes to post a 2-under 69 final round to get to 8-under. It was Kemp’s third top 10 this season and eclipsed her previous best finish in 2023 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in July. Kemp is projected to move from 72nd to 47th on the RACE to CME Globe standings and sits inside the top 60 who get into the lucrative season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
With her win, Kim is projected to jump to No. 3 on the RACE To CME Globe.
The LPGA Tour heads to China for next week’s Buick LPGA Shanghai to be staged at Qizhong Garden Golf Club. America’s Danielle Kang is the defending champion.
Final Scores
The Ascendant LPGA
1. Hyo Joo Kim -13
T2. Bianca Pagdanganan -9
T2. Atthaya Thitikul -9
4. Sarah Kemp -8
5. Lexi Thompson -7
6. Cheyenne Knight -6
T7. Katherine Muzi -5
T7. Leona Maguire -5
T7. So Yeon Ryu -5
Other Australians
T13. Sarah Jane Smith -3
T31. Hannah Green +2
T49. Karis Davidson +5
T67. Su Oh +11
MC. June Song (a)
Photo credit: Sam Hodde/ Getty Images
