LOS ANGELES April 1, 2025: South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim sank a six-foot birdie putt at the first playoff hole to win the LPGA Ford Championship on Sunday, edging out American Lilia Vu.
Kim posted an 8-under par 64, the lowest round of the day, with nine birdies, bringing her to a 22-under total of 266 at the Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona.
Vu, the overnight leader, shot a four-under-par 68. In the playoff, Kim's approach shot at the 18th hole landed six feet from the pin, while Vu's was over 15 feet away. Vu’s putt fell short, and Kim sank hers to secure her seventh LPGA win and first since 2023.
“It’s been a while since I won, so I was a bit stressed,” said Kim, 29. “But I worked hard in the winter, and now that I’ve won, I feel lighthearted.”
Kim, who started the day four shots behind Vu, made seven birdies in her first 11 holes to take the lead at 21-under. Despite a bogey on the 12th after finding water off the tee, Kim bounced back with birdies on 16 and 17 to take a one-shot lead into the clubhouse.
Vu, however, birdied the 17th from a greenside bunker to tie things up and forced a playoff after making a par putt on the 18th.
Kim, who was waiting as Vu finished her round, said, “I kept thinking we might have a playoff, so I kept stretching. I thought I’d be nervous, but I really wasn’t.”
Vu, recovering from a back injury that sidelined her for three months last year, was pleased with her performance despite the playoff loss. “This week, I felt like me again, the most I’ve felt in the past year and a half,” she said.
American Allisen Corpuz, the 2023 US Women’s Open champion, shot a bogey-free seven-under 65 to finish third at 267.
World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul from Thailand shared the lead after a birdie on the 13th but finished in fourth with a six-under 66 for a total of 268.