Kim Sei-young wins BMW Championship to end five-year title drought

HAENAM, South Korea – Inspired by Tiger Woods’ trademark red shirts on Sundays, South Korean golfer Kim Sei-young has been wearing red pants during the final rounds of tournaments as well.

It had brought her luck as she won her first tournament – the Bahamas LPGA Classic – in just her second start after joining the LPGA Tour in 2015. She reeled in 11 more titles on the circuit until 2020.

But following a five-year title drought, her faith in Sunday red was wavering.

“I was thinking I have so many chances before and if I don’t win, I’m never going to wear this again,” said the 32-year-old, after a five-under 67 in the final round on Oct 19 handed her a four-stroke victory at the BMW Ladies Championship on home soil.

“But now with this win, I’ll probably have to wear that again and again.”

Leading from the first round to the last at Pine Beach Golf Links on the south-western tip of South Korea, the world No. 21 finished with a 24-under 264 total, ahead of Japan’s 45th-ranked Nasa Hataoka (67, 268).

It was Kim’s first title since the 2020 Pelican Championship, now known as The Annika, named after Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam. That year, she had also won the Women’s PGA Championship, her only Major victory to date.

She started the final day with a four-shot lead, but a bogey on the third hole gave the chasing pack hope. She soon snuffed that out by rattling in six birdies, including three consecutive ones from holes 5 to 7, on the way to a 67.

Her 13th win of her career on the LPGA Tour and the first in her native South Korea also included a US$345,000 (S$446,900) prize cheque.

It also meant there have now been 27 different winners on the tour this season, setting a new record.

Admitting that she was worried that her drought would go on, Kim said: “I just wanted to try hard, whether it takes five years or 10 years. I think it’s very important that you find the momentum and keep on that track.

“It can take a while and I don’t think you can find the way by yourself. You always need help from others... When I’m going off the track, there’s always people telling me and putting me back to the right track. I think that’s how to overcome it.”

Kim also credited her veteran American caddie Paul Fusco, whose encouraging words in Korean at the par-four fourth hole, where she made par, sparked her three consecutive birdies.

“Today’s play, it was very stable. It was actually me who had lots of up and downs, and I think Paul by the No. 4 hole, he said something like, ‘You can do it’ in Korean. I can’t remember it, but that really cheered me up.”

Hataoka mounted a late charge with four birdies in her last five holes, but Kim was already out of sight by then.

“I had a great week. I played pretty solid week every single day, and yeah, I really enjoyed it,” said the 26-year-old, whose six birdies in the final round was offset by one bogey.

She has now finished in the top 10 six times in 2025, but has not won on the LPGA Tour since 2022.

Frenchwoman Celine Boutier (67) finished tied-third with South Korean Kim A-lim (66), six strokes behind the winner.

A further stroke adrift was American Yealimi Noh (70), who began the final round tied for second with Hataoka, finishing in a tie for fifth with defending champion Hannah Green (66) of Australia.

Thailand’s world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, who became the first multiple winner in this LPGA season with a five-hole play-off win in Shanghai on Oct 12, did not compete over the weekend but will be part of Thailand’s team in this week’s International Crown.

After that, two more LPGA events are scheduled on the five-event Asian swing – in Malaysia and Japan. AFP