Paradise Island, Bahamas (SportsNetwork.com) - Sei Young Kim birdied the first playoff hole on Sunday to defeat Sun Young Yoo and Ariya Jutanugarn and win the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic.
Kim, who birdied the 18th in regulation to get into the playoff, closed with a 4-under 69 to end at 14-under-par 279. She was joined there by Sun Young Yoo (70) and Ariya Jutanugarn (69).
The trio returned to the tee on the par-5 18th on the Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis Resort for the extra session. All three players found the fairway with their tee shots.
Yoo and Jutanugarn both came up short with their second shots before Kim found the back fringe with her second. Yoo and Jutanugarn chipped on, then watched as Kim left her eagle effort five feet short.
Jutanugarn missed her 15-foot birdie effort, then Yoo pulled her birdie try. Kim did not miss. She poured in her birdie putt for her first LPGA Tour win.
"It's definitely a dream. I'm really happy. For the last 10 years, it's what I've dreamed of," Kim stated. "I missed the cut last week, and I was really upset, and I trained really hard for this week."
Brittany Lincicome posted a 3-under 70 in the final round and she ended alone in fourth at minus-13. Inbee Park (72), and Danielle Kang (69) were one stroke back at minus-12.
World No. 1 Lydia Ko fired a 5-under 68 to jump into a tie for seventh at 11- under 281. She was joined there by Lexi Thompson (71), Gerina Piller (70) and Azahara Munoz (70).
Stacy Lewis (71) headlined a group of five players at minus-10.
Kim got off to a quick start with a birdie at the first. She converted back- to-back birdies at four and five to move to 12-under. Kim stumbled to a bogey at the eighth.
Around the turn, Kim bounced back with a birdie on the 10th. She was still two back at that point. Kim closed within one thanks to a birdie on the par-4 14th. She drained a 6-foot birdie effort at the last to get into the playoff.
Jutanugarn was the first to post 14-under. She bogeyed the first, but made eagle at the par-5 fourth. A birdie at the sixth moved her to 12-under.
The 19-year-old stumbled to a bogey on the eighth. She birdied the 10th and 14th to close in on the lead. Jutanugarn birdied the last to end first at minus-14.
Yoo got on the board with an 8-foot birdie putt at the fourth. She also birdied the sixth to move to 13-under. Yoo ran off five straight pars from the seventh.
The 2012 Kraft Nabisco winner moved one clear of Park with a 5-foot birdie putt at the 12th. Yoo birdied the 14th to push her lead to two over Jutanugarn and Kim.
Yoo stumbled to a bogey at the 16th to dip to 14-under. As she parred the last two holes, Yoo was caught atop the leaderboard as Kim and Jutanugarn made late birdies to force the playoff.
NOTES: Kim, who has five wins on the Korean LPGA, earned $195,000 for the win ... Kim earned her tour card by tying for sixth at LPGA School last fall ... After a week off, Karrie Webb will defend her title at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open.
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