Veteran Hyeji Kang Finishes Third... Japanese Rookie Chisato Iwai Claims Victory

1-under in Final Round of Mexico Riviera Maya Open
Top 10 Finish in 10 Months Wearing Minions Socks
Hyejin Choi, Somi Lee, and Ji Eun Shin Tie for Fourth Place

Veteran Hyeji Kang finished in the top 3.

On May 25 (local time), at the El Camaleon Golf Club (par 72, 6,583 yards) in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico, Hyeji Kang shot a 1-under-par 71 in the fourth round of the LPGA Tour Mexico Riviera Maya Open (total prize money: $2.5 million), securing third place with a total of 5-under-par 283. She recorded three birdies and two bogeys. She said, "Honestly, my performance hasn't been good for a while, and I think I even forgot how to focus on the game," adding, "Watching my fellow players perform well helped me regain a sense of calm focus."

Hyeji Kang ranked in the top 3 at the Mexico Riviera Maya Open. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

On this day, Hyeji Kang wore yellow socks featuring the animated character 'Minions.' "My boyfriend bought me four pairs, and at first I just thought, 'Oh, these exist,'" she said. "I've worn a pair each round since the first round, and it seems these socks brought me luck. I plan to keep wearing them," she laughed.

Hyeji Kang debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2009. Last year, she missed the cut in 13 out of 20 tournaments she entered. She lost her tour card, and this season, she also missed the cut in both LPGA Tour events she played. This top-10 finish is her first in about 10 months, since she tied for third place with Inkyung Kim at the Dow Championship, a two-player team event held in July last year.

Chisato Iwai is walking on the green during the 4th round of the Mexico Riviera Maya Open. Playa del Carmen, Mexico - Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Rookie Chisato Iwai of Japan shot a 6-under-par 66 to claim a come-from-behind victory with a total of 12-under-par 276. Iwai, who debuted on the LPGA Tour this season, celebrated her first career win. The winner's prize is $375,000 (about 500 million KRW). Until last year, Iwai had six career wins on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour before joining the LPGA Tour this year. With this victory, she jumped to second place in the rookie points standings. The leader in this category is Rio Takeda of Japan.

Jenny Bae, a Korean-American who led after the previous round, lost one stroke and fell to second place with a total of 6-under-par 282. For Korea, Hyejin Choi, Somi Lee, and Ji Eun Shin all tied for fourth place at 4-under-par 284. For Hyejin Choi and Ji Eun Shin, this is their second top-10 finish of the season, while for Somi Lee, it is her first.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.