PHOENIX – Sei Young Kim made history Sunday in the desert.
The 2015 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year fired a final round 10-under par, 62 to set a new 72-hole Tournament scoring record and capture the JTBC Founders Cup. Her four-day score of 27-under par tied the 72-hole total set by Annika Sorenstam in 2001 when she shot a second round 59 at the Standard Register Ping.
“Yeah. It's a dream come true,” Kim told the media. “Today's score 10-under is my best score ever, ever. So I didn't know that after the last putt, but after I check the scorecard, I asked to Paul, my caddy, did I shoot 10-under? He said, yeah. Oh, my God. That's amazing. Yeah. Dream come true. So feel great now.”
Sorenstam responded to the news and shared her congratulations on Kim's accomplishment, 15-years to the week Sorenstam set the record also in Arizona at Moon Valley Country Club.
"Congratulations to Sei Young on her outstanding play this week. I thought she was going to make that last putt. It's hard to believe it's only her second year on the LPGA. This should give her nice momentum as she heads into the ANA Inspiration looking for her first Major Championship," Sorenstam told the LPGA via email.
The South Korean’s previous low round was a 65, which she carded on six occasions in 2015. The victory marks her fourth on the LPGA Tour and first not on an island, her prior three victories coming in the Bahamas, Hawaii and Hainan Island in China.
Kim won by 5-strokes ahead of world No.1 Lydia Ko, who carded a final round 7-under par 65, including four birdies in her last five holes but was still unable to catch Kim. Jacqui Concolino posted her best finish of her career this week, finishing at 20-under par and solo third.
18-year-old’s Meghan Khang and Brooke Henderson, along with veteran Paula Creamer, finished T-4 for the week at 19-under par. Khang has now posted two top-11 finishes in her first three starts as a member of the LPGA Tour. Henderson got off to a hot start, making five birdies in her first eight holes but was unable to recover after a bogey at the par 4, 9th hole and settled for a round of 5-under par, 67.
Click here for complete scores from the final round of the JTBC Founders Cup.
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