Kim Hyoju Finishes Runner-up... 'Regretful Three-Putt Bogey on 16th Hole'

1-under in FM Championship 4th Round
Third Win of Season and 10th Career Victory Eludes Kim
Inruening Takes Title, Kim Seyoung Finishes Fourth, Korda 50th

World No. 4 Kim Hyoju narrowly missed out on her third win of the season.

On August 31 (KST), Kim Hyoju shot a 1-under 71, carding three birdies and two bogeys in the final round of the LPGA Tour FM Championship (total prize money: 4.4 million dollars) at TPC Boston (par 72) in Norton, Massachusetts, USA. Kim finished with a total score of 12-under-par 276 to claim second place overall. She ended two strokes behind the tournament winner, Yin Ruoning (China), who posted a 14-under-par 274.

Kim Hyoju is expressing regret after missing a par putt on the 16th hole of the 4th round at the FM Championship. Photo by Norton=AFP Yonhap News

Kim Hyoju started the day in a tie for second, just one stroke off the lead, and had a shaky start with a bogey on the par-4 4th hole. However, with birdies on the 7th and 9th–10th holes, she ascended to the top of the leaderboard. A three-putt bogey on the par-3 16th hole dropped her to solo second place, and she regrettably missed a short birdie putt on the par-4 17th. Kim previously notched two wins earlier this year at the Fortinet Founders Cup and the Ford Championship. This marks her sixth top-10 finish of the season.

Yin Ruoning (China), who led after the previous round, notched five birdies and three bogeys to post a 2-under 70. Currently No. 8 in the world, Yin joined the LPGA Tour in 2022. She captured her sixth career title, her first in one year and ten months since the Maybank Championship in October 2024. She earned the winner’s check of 660,000 dollars (about 900 million won). Having gone a long time without victory, Yin teared up after hitting the green in two on the par-5 18th and leaving her eagle putt close.

Inloening is waiting for his shot order on the fairway of the 18th hole in the 4th round of the FM Championship. Photo by Norton, AFP Yonhap News

In her post-win interview, Yin said, "I worked really hard. It was emotionally tough not seeing results," adding, "My parents and staff supported me a lot during difficult times," with a smile. She continued, "On the 18th hole, I went for the green in two with a 5-iron. I focused solely on getting the ball onto the green without thinking about anything else."

Allison Corpuz (USA) posted a 4-under 68 to climb to third place at 11-under-par 277. Rose Zhang (USA) also shot four under to share fourth place at 10-under-par 278. Kim Seiyoung dropped a stroke and settled for a share of fourth. Miyu Yamashita (Japan) tied for sixth at 9-under-par 279, while Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand), Yoo Haeran, Lim Jinhui, and Lee Sumi were among those tied for ninth at 8-under-par 280. World No. 1 Nelly Korda (USA) finished in a tie for 50th at 1-over-par 289.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.