Se-young Kim 5th "Regrettable, Comeback Victory"… Ernst's "Comeback Show"

Arkansas Championship Final Day: 2-Under Par 3rd 'Top 10', Ernst Wins First Title in 6 Years, Nordqvist 2nd

Kim Sei-young is taking her second shot on the 1st hole on the final day of the Arkansas Championship. Rogers, Arkansas, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] It is a successful comeback for Kim Se-young (27, Mirae Asset), ranked 6th in the world.

On the 31st (Korean time), at the final 3rd round of the LPGA Tour Walmart NW Arkansas Championship (total prize money $2.3 million) held at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, USA (par 71, 6,331 yards), she shot 2 under par to finish tied for 5th place (15 under par, 198 strokes). After the LPGA Tour was suspended for seven months due to the COVID-19 pandemic since February, she returned to the field and showed her undiminished skills. This marks her third 'Top 10' finish of the season.

Kim Se-young started 3 strokes behind in 2nd place, recording 6 birdies, 2 bogeys, and 1 double bogey. After 'stepping stone birdies' on holes 1 and 3, she steadied herself with a bogey on the 5th hole (par 4), then added more 'stepping stone birdies' on holes 7 and 9 to continue her pursuit of the championship. However, after exchanging a bogey on the 13th hole (par 4) for a birdie on the 14th hole (par 5), she suffered a critical double bogey on the 16th hole (par 4) due to a tee shot error. She was satisfied with entering the 'Top 5' with a birdie on the final 18th hole (par 5).

Kim Se-young joined the LPGA Tour in 2015 and has accumulated a total of 10 wins. She swept 3 wins in her rookie year, earning the Rookie of the Year award, and has consistently won at least one tournament every year since. This year, before the season was halted due to COVID-19, she had a strong run with a tie for 7th at the Diamond Resort Tournament and 5th at the Gainbridge LPGA. She will challenge for her first 'major queen' title at the ANA Inspiration on the 10th of next month.

Austin Ernst is smiling brightly while holding the trophy right after winning on the final day of the Arkansas Championship. Rogers, Arkansas, USA = Getty Images / Multivitz
Photo by Multivitz

Austin Ernst (USA) surged with an 8-under-par round to claim a come-from-behind victory by 2 strokes (20 under par, 193 strokes). This is her second career win, six years after her first victory at the 2014 Portland Classic, with a winner's prize of $345,000 (about 410 million KRW). She exclaimed, "An unbelievable thing happened," and expressed joy that "the results of putting practice have come out." Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), who started 3 strokes ahead, shot 2 under par and slipped to 2nd place (18 under par, 195 strokes).

World No. 4 Nelly Korda tied for 3rd place (16 under par, 197 strokes), and two-time winner Danielle Kang (both USA) finished tied for 49th (7 under par, 206 strokes). From Korea, Shin Ji-eun (28, Hanwha Q CELLS) performed well, tying for 5th, and 'Golf Queen' Park In-bee (32, KB Financial Group) surged with a 6-stroke improvement to tie for 7th place (14 under par, 199 strokes). This marks her third consecutive 'Top 10' finish. Lee Mi-hyang (27, Volvik) finished tied for 11th (12 under par, 201 strokes), and Jeon In-ji (26, KB Financial Group) ended tied for 21st (10 under par, 203 strokes).

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