Kim A-lim poses with the trophy after profitable the Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Nation Membership in Orlando, Fla., U.S., Feb. 2. AFP-Yonhap
As one of many longest hitters on the LPGA Tour, Kim A-lim largely used to hit draw photographs, shaping the ball from proper to left, along with her driver.
Whereas she ranked ninth within the common driving distance final yr with 274.18 yards, the 29-year-old Korean was 131st in driving accuracy with 66.18 %. Draw photographs sometimes have extra run and balls can trickle into tough even after hitting the green.
To higher management her drives, Kim has determined to start out hitting extra fade photographs this season, taking the ball from left to proper with much less run.
Although Kim has been engaged on fades for less than two weeks, the change has paid fast dividends, as she gained the season-opening Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Nation Membership in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday (native time).
Kim shot 20-under to carry off world No. 1 Nelly Korda by two photographs. Kim additionally ranked second within the discipline with a mean of 275.38 yards off the tee and hit a bit over 80 % of the fairways.
„I felt a bit uncomfortable as a result of I’ve used fade for less than two weeks, however I felt all proper,“ Kim stated after capturing five-under 67 within the remaining spherical. „I will work more durable. I will have extra time to get the form higher and get extra used to it.“
Kim stated her plan for the event was „to only preserve driving the modifications.“
A Lim Kim kisses a golf ball after sinking her remaining put to win the LPGA Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions on the Lake Nona Golf and Nation Membership in Orlando, Fla., U.S., Feb. 2. UPI-Yonhap
„I am happy with myself that although I used to be feeling discomfort, I tried and went by with it,“ she stated. „After this, what I will work on is once I should be aggressive, I really want to bolt myself down and be aggressive.“
She was lots aggressive in Orlando, attacking troublesome pin areas en path to main the sphere with 24 birdies. With rounds of 65-69-67-67, Kim was the one participant to interrupt 70 in all 4 rounds at Lake Nona.
Kim started the ultimate spherical with a three-stroke lead, however Korda put some strain on her and even caught her briefly on the again 9.
However Kim birdied three of her remaining 4 holes, with the putts on the sixteenth and the 18th greens significantly memorable for his or her distance and the context.
The birdie on the sixteenth gave Kim a two-shot lead with two holes to play. Korda, taking part in in a bunch forward of Kim, holed a prolonged birdie putt on the 18th to slender the hole to at least one stroke, that means Kim needed to make par to keep away from falling right into a playoff. Kim rose to the event and poured in an extended birdie putt of her personal to ice the win.
„On 16, I noticed my line and I trusted that. Simply hit it after which a superb consequence. That is all,“ Kim stated. „No. 18, I wished to make birdie. It was a bit downhill and downgrain, however nonetheless a superb line for me. I’ve made plenty of putts like that earlier than, so I trusted that.“
Kim stated she stayed assured even after watching Korda birdie the 18th.
„Once I noticed Nelly birdie 18, I additionally thought to myself that I will birdie this as properly,“ Kim stated. (Yonhap)
