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Kim Hyo-joo of South Korea watches her shot during the final round of the FreeD Group Women's Scottish Open at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, Scotland, on Sunday. (LPGA Tour) |
With a bogey-free final round, South Korea's Kim Hyo-joo has recorded her second runner-up finish of the 2023 LPGA Tour season in Scotland.
Kim poured in seven birdies for a 65 in the final round of the FreeD Group Women's Scottish Open at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, Scotland, on Sunday. She finished the tournament at 13-under 275, two back of the champion, Celine Boutier of France.
It was Kim's seventh top-10 finish and her second runner-up showing, after the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June.
The Scottish Open was the last tournament before the season's final major, AIG Women's Open, which will tee off Thursday at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England.
Kim started the final round trailing Boutier by seven shots, but kept creeping up the leaderboard with a string of birdies.
Her sixth birdie of the day at the par-5 14th pushed Kim to second place. After Boutier bogeyed the 16th and Kim birdied the 18th, the South Korean found herself sitting just one stroke behind in the clubhouse.
Boutier, who won the Amundi Evian Championship last week for her first major title, drained a long birdie attempt at the 17th to pull ahead by two strokes, and saved par at the 18th to hang on for the win.
Kim, who was battling foot pains all week, said she didn't have high expectations for this tournament.
"I am extremely happy with the result. I didn't put any pressure on myself, and I think that helped me post such a good score," Kim said. "I'll try to maintain this form at the next tournament. I just hope my foot will start feeling better."
Another South Korean, Kim A-lim, sat in second place through 15 holes after eight birdies, before losing steam with bogeys at the 16th and 18th en route to a fourth-place finish at 11-under.
Boutier became the first player to win the Evian Championship and then the following tournament in consecutive weeks. She also became the first to win three titles in 2023. (Yonhap)
