What’s the latest? — A Lim Kim wins season opener at Lake Nona
The IX: Golf Thursday with Marin Dremock, Feb. 6, 2025
What’s the latest in the world of women’s golf? Glad you asked. So much has been happening, and it’s fantastic.
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Welcome back to Golf Thursday, fans. There’s much to discuss!
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Let’s start with the thrilling weekend at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. With Nelly Korda creeping up behind her, A Lim Kim pulled off a victory. In a wire-to-wire finish, Kim carded three birdies in her final four holes to stay ahead of Korda.
Not only did Kim shoot 67 in the final round, but all of her rounds last week were in the 60s. Her consistently low game was just enough to persevere through a tough field.
But let’s talk amateur, shall we? 15-year-old superstar Asterisk Talley came out on top as the winner of the amateur Stableford scoring division. Talley made a name for herself on a bigger stage than junior golf when she made the cut at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open and finished in a tie for low amateur.
At Lake Nona, Talley recorded 149 points in the Modified Stableford format, winning by 11 points over Will Lowery. And she did it playing from the LPGA pro tees.
Talley’s 149 points wasn’t only the most in the amateur field; it was the most in the celebrity field too. Joe Pavelski, former pro hockey player, won the celebrity tournament with 145 points.
Have a week, Little Star.
Across the pond, the first tournament of the Ladies European Tour (LET) season is Feb. 6–8. The LET heads to Morocco to begin their 2025 campaign. The Lalla Meryem Cup will see a field of 108 players compete for a €450,000 prize fund on the Blue Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.
Among the players in the stacked field are 2024 Order of Merit winner Chiara Tamburlini and invited LPGA Tour player Maria Fassi. The field also includes 20 LET rookies looking to make their mark on the professional stage.
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Along with the LET opener this week, the LPGA is back with the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands from Feb. 6–9. While the Hilton Grand Vacations was the technical season opener, the Founders Cup is the first full-field event of the 2025 LPGA season.
Host course Bradenton Country Club has seen an LPGA field before, just not for this event. Last year’s LPGA Drive On Championship was at Bradenton, where Bradenton native Nelly Korda emerged victorious over Lydia Ko in a playoff.
But this year, the Founders Cup comes to Bradenton, bringing the stars with it. Korda will surely look to win in her hometown again, but she’ll have to compete with not only familiar faces but hungry LPGA Tour rookies as well. Brooke Matthews, former amateur World No. 1 Ingrid Lindblad and three-time Epson Tour winner Fatima Fernandez Cano will all make their LPGA debuts this week.
In last year’s tournament, Rose Zhang captured the championship at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, N.J. She evaded the pursuit of Swede Madelene Sagstrom, winning by two shots after a back-and-forth final round.
Zhang will not be in the mix to defend this year, as she’s still taking classes at Stanford.
This week in women’s golf
LPGA News
Field breakdown: 2025 Founders Cup
How to watch the 2025 Founders Cup
Five things to know about the 2025 Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands
LPGA*USGA Girls Golf names new LPGA player brand ambassadors
Nelly Korda collects fifth top five in seventh start at Hilton Grand Vacations TOC
A Lim Kim opens LPGA season by holding off Nelly Korda in a wire-to-wire win
Meet the eight African American women who have earned LPGA Tour membership
LET News
Tamburlini hoping to build on 2024 success in Morocco
Defending champion Bronte back in Rabat
The class of ‘25: Meet this year’s LET rookies
Amateur/NCAA News
Africa Amateur Women’s Invitational: How to watch
16-year-old Louise Uma Landgraf wins Portuguese International Ladies Amateur
Three Gamecocks to compete at Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April
Five at The IX: A Lim Kim captures season opener at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
Last Sunday, Feb. 2, A Lim Kim came out on top of a 32-player field to win the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. This win is Kim’s third career on the LPGA Tour. She has three wins on the KLPGA as well. After the final round, Kim spoke about her mindset during competition and some influences on the LPGA Tour.
Q. Your second win in just a couple months. What part of your game is working so well for you right now?
A LIM KIM: I [was] working on change my shape I told you before. All my career I’m use a draw. I’m really good draw player. But 130 yard inside game is not too good, so I want to change my shape and then working on it and then make it.
Q. When you win a lot of people celebrate. You’re popular. Who are the players that have helped you the most as you transitioned onto the LPGA?
A LIM KIM: A lot, but biggest is Amy Yang. Yeah, she’s my hero. And then when I was young I watched her all the time, and then close living in home, so she helps a lot all the time.
Q. A Lim, just take us through the round today. What was going through your mind, especially towards the end of the round watching Nelly creep up the leaderboard?
A LIM KIM: Today overall the game was good and I think what I was trying to pull off today, I got it done.
Q. Just take us through the week as well. Second time starting at this event. What were some of the mindsets heading into this week?
A LIM KIM: So I was already implementing the changes and my plan was to just keep driving the changes that I was already having implemented. So there was discomfort, definitely parts where I felt scared, but I just closed my eyes and I got myself through it.
Q. Is there a part of your game that you noticed this week is working pretty exceptionally well or anything after this week you will start to work on throughout the rest of the year?
A LIM KIM: So I’m proud of myself that even though I was feeling discomfort I attempted and went through with it. After this what I’m going to work on is when I need to be aggressive that I really need to bolt myself down and be aggressive.
| Mondays: Soccer |
| By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer |
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| By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer |
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