Hyo Joo Kim Holds Off Nelly Korda to Win Fortinet Founders Cup

After winning the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, Nelly Korda certainly had confidence entering the Fortinet Founders Cup. And it only grew as she battled hard throughout the rest of Sunday. But ultimately, it wasn’t enough, as Hyo Joo Kim put in a stronger performance to secure her eighth LPGA Tour win.

Soon after Kim shot a one-over 73 to finish at 16-under 272, the LPGA Tour celebrated the win with an Instagram post featuring her photo.

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“Hyo Joo Kim goes wire to wire to win the Fortinet Founders Cup 🏆,” the caption read.

And obviously, the thrilling victory didn’t go unnoticed by the top LPGA Tour stars. Lydia Ko, Rose Zhang, and Grace Kim showed their support by liking the Instagram post and celebrating Hyo Joo Kim’s win over Nelly Korda.

The 27-year-old scored a three-under 69 in the final round. It was indeed a better score than Kim’s, but it fell short, given Korda’s total score was 15-under 273.

Both players opened the final round with early blemishes, matching bogeys on the par-4 second hole. And as Kim led the leaderboard, the world number two managed to tie for the lead by putting six birdies through the next eight holes.

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Kim responded with a birdie on the par-4 11th and regained the solo lead. But both of them bogeyed on the 12th. And the turning point came by the 14th, when Kim shot a clutch birdie. Following another bogey at the 16th, she sent a flop shot from deep rough to two and a half feet to save par.

Meanwhile, Nelly Korda faltered and three-putted for bogey after missing a three-footer on the 17th. And that ended her hopes of a comeback. Ultimately, Kim ended the game with a two-shot lead heading into the 18th.

What contributed to the win was how fast she started at challenging Sharon Heights, holing out for eagle on the eighth hole Thursday in a 63 that gave her a two-shot lead. She pushed the advantage to four on Friday with a 70.

Still, Korda’s results so far are 1-2, and she said, despite the stinging loss late Sunday, she’s ready to go all over again.

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“It’s golf. It’s a quick turnaround. There is next week, so just going to take all the positives,” Korda said.

But while Lydia Ko and others stood in support of Kim, what did the fans think of the outcome?

Fans react to the close battle between Nelly Korda and Hyo Joo Kim

Most fans congratulated the 30-year-old on her victory over Korda.

One fan wrote, “Congratulations on winning Pro, Hyoju ~~🙌🙌🙌,” while another commented, “Yesss well done Hye Joo Kim.”

But what impressed them the most was the fact that she held off against the world number two.

Another fan reflected on it and wrote, “Super win Hyo-joo Kim… wire to wire victory and holding off NK at the same time…. Amazing!!!🔥🔥🔥”

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After joining the LPGA Tour in 2015, the South Korean golfer has recorded eight career wins, 65 top-10s, and 125 top-25 finishes. In the current season, she ranks second in the CME points standings with 768 points. Beyond the win, she has a T21 finish at the HSBC Women’s World Championship and a third-place finish at the Honda LPGA Thailand.

Meanwhile, another fan expressed his relief upon hearing the outcome of the Founders’ Cup: “Thank goodness I was nervous after Nelly closed the gap. Hate to see anyone lose a big lead on Sunday.”

A few others took a look at the result as a break from the competitive marketing. Owing to her popularity across the globe, Korda’s win would have significantly increased the frequency of her appearances on billboards and online advertisements. After all, Nike, TaylorMade, Goldman Sachs, and even Delta Air Lines have been backing Nelly Korda.

Pointing that out, a fan wrote, “Nice win, if Nelly won, the marketing will be too much .. 😂😂. Hyo Joo Kim has one of the most consistent swing on tour.”

What stood out to you most from Kim’s win over Korda? Let us know in the comments below.