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Hyejin Choi shed tears after a bogey on the 17th hole (par 4) on the final day.

On June 15 (local time), at Blythefield Country Club (par 72, 6,611 yards) in Belmont, Michigan, USA, Hyejin Choi shot a 4-under-par 68 in the fourth round of the Meijer LPGA Classic on the LPGA Tour (total prize money: $3 million), finishing in second place by one stroke at 15-under-par 273. Although she had hoped to claim her first victory after 88 tournaments since debuting on the LPGA Tour in 2022, she had to settle for the runner-up spot.

Hyejin Choi is teeing off on the 4th hole of the 4th round at the Meijer LPGA Classic. Belmont, USA - Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Choi started the day tied for the lead and recorded one eagle, three birdies, and one bogey. She played flawlessly, adding an eagle on the 4th hole (par 5) and two birdies on the 8th and 12th holes. However, she faltered on the 17th hole (par 4), where she was leading by one stroke. Her tee shot veered right and landed in the deep rough between large trees. After opting to lay up, her third shot landed just 1.5 meters from the hole, but she missed the short par putt, allowing Carlota Ciganda (Spain), who made a birdie, to overtake her. On the final 18th hole (par 5), both Choi and Ciganda made birdies.

Hyejin Choi is a player who has collected a total of 11 victories on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, including two as an amateur. She won the Player of the Year award for three consecutive years starting in 2018 and captured an impressive five victories in 2019. She first gained recognition by finishing as runner-up as an amateur at the 2017 US Women's Open. After advancing through the LPGA Tour Qualifying (Q) Series in December 2021, she moved to the United States the following year. Although she was expected to claim a victory quickly, she missed her first opportunity for a win.

Carlota Ciganda surged to the top with a 5-under-par 67, finishing at 16-under-par 272 for her third career win, her first since the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in November 2016. The winner's prize is $450,000 (approximately 600 million won). Among Korean players, Somi Lee shot a daily-best 7-under-par 65 to soar to third place at 14-under-par 274. Mi Hyang Lee finished tied for 14th at 10-under-par 278, while Hae Ran Ryu and Yoon Ina both finished tied for 31st at 6-under-par 282.