South Korean Golf Pro Kim Sei Young Racks Up Her 'Best Score Ever' To Defeat 1st-Ranked Lydia Ko In JTBC Founders Cup
The 18-year-old top-ranked female golfer in the world, Lydia Ko of New Zealand, shot a great round of gold in the annual JTBC Founders Cup on Monday, finishing 7-under 65.
However, this year, great wasn't good enough.
With Kim Sei Young scoring an eye-popping 10-under 62 on Sunday, tying golf legend Annika Sorenstam scoring mark of 27 under, the 23-year-old South Korean player, turned in a shooting performance in Phoenix, Arizona that even she admitted was a career best.
And while Kim claims she looked to ignore her opportunity to tie Sorenstam's record, the outcome was better than she could have imagined, earning her an Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament win at the JTBC Founder's Cup.
"I didn't think about that," Kim told Associate Press reporter John Nicholsoni regarding the potential to make (or at least tie) history.
"But I thought, 'If I win, I have to score low.' It's a dream come true. I scored 10 under. It's my best score ever, ever."
Ko told the website Stuff that she was a bit taken aback at how well the South Korean played.
"There's not many times you're in the final few groups and you shoot seven-under and you still finish five shots behind," she said. "Sei Young obviously had an incredible week."
Sorenstam herself praised Kim's success on the Wildfire Golf Club course.
"Congratulations to Sei Young on her outstanding play this week," the 45-year-old retired Swedish golfer told the sports cable network ESPN from Tahoe, Nevada.
"I thought she was going to make that last putt. It's hard to believe it's only her second year on the LPGA."
