Veterans Kim In-Kyung and Kang Hye-Ji Tie for 3rd Place in LPGA Team Tournament

‘2-Person Team’ Enters Top 3 at Dow Championship
Inruening-Titikkun Win, Ewing-Kupcho 2nd by 1 Stroke
Kim Arim-No Yerim, Ko Jinyoung-Hataoka Tied 8th

Kim In-kyung and Kang Hye-ji showcased their veteran power.

Kim In-kyung (right) and Kang Ye-ji are walking brightly smiling on the green of the 5th hole in the 4th round of the '2-person team tournament' Dow Championship. [Midland (USA) = AFP·Yonhap News]

On June 30 (local time), at the Midland Country Club (par 70, 6,256 yards) in Midland, Michigan, USA, the final round of the Dow Championship (total prize money $3 million), a two-player team event on the LPGA Tour, was held. In the four-round four-ball format (each player plays their own ball, and the better score on each hole counts as the team score), they posted a 5-under 65 and finished tied for 3rd place (19-under 261). This was the best result among Korean players.

Kim In-kyung entered the top 10 for the first time in 4 years and 8 months since the Taiwan Swinging Skirts in November 2019 (tied 8th). Kang Hye-ji also achieved a top 10 finish for the first time in 2 years since tying for 4th place with Tiffany Chan (Hong Kong) at this tournament in July 2022. Kim In-kyung has won a total of 7 titles, including the major Ricoh Women's British Open in August 2017. Kang Hye-ji, who debuted in 2009, has yet to win a title. This tournament is the only team event on the LPGA Tour. The 1st and 3rd rounds were played in foursomes (two players alternate shots with one ball), and the 2nd and 4th rounds were played in four-ball format.

Atthaya Thitikul (left) and Inruening are smiling on the green of the 5th hole in the 4th round of the '2-Person Team' Dow Championship. [Midland, USA=AFP·Yonhap News]

In-Ruoning (China) and Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand) claimed the championship. They delivered a perfect performance with 8 birdies and won by one stroke (22-under 258). Both debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2022 and each secured their third victory. The winner’s prize money was $366,082 (approximately 500 million KRW) each. Thitikul was named Rookie of the Year, and In-Ruoning won the major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last June.

Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho (both USA), who were leaders the previous day, made a strong effort by shooting 6-under but settled for second place by one stroke (21-under 259). Korean-American players Grace Kim (Australia) and Austin Kim (USA) finished tied for 5th (18-under 262). Other pairs including Kim A-rim and No Ye-rim (USA), Ko Jin-young and Hataoka Nasa (Japan), Sung Yu-jin and Saigo Mao (Japan), and Brooke Henderson (Canada) and Lexi Thompson (USA) ended the tournament tied for 8th place (16-under 276).