Page 21 - aruba-today-20191125

A21
SPORTS Monday 25 noveMber 2019

Kim hits 25-foot putt to capture LPGA finale, $1.5M prize

By DOUG FERGUSON birdie putt.
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Sei Kim thought her biggest
Young Kim hit the putt of threat was Nelly Korda,
her life, a 25-foot birdie on who started one shot be-
the final hole of the CME hind. Korda stalled with two
Group Tour Championship hooked tee shots, the sec-
to win $1.5 million, the rich- ond one hurting her chanc-
est prize in the history of es at a birdie on the 17th.
women's golf. Walking up the 18th, Kim re-
Kim closed with a 2-under alized Hull had tied her.
70 to beat an unlikely foe "I didn't know Charley fin-
Sunday at Tiburon Golf ished at 17 (under)," Kim
Club. said at the trophy presen-
Charley Hull of England tation. "What if I couldn't
birdied her last three holes make it? I could go to a
for a 66, the last one a playoff. It's not good for
12-footer that gave her a me. It was really nervous
tie for the lead. Kim, who when walking through hole
looked shaky in missing 18. I was like: 'OK, not a
three straight birdie chanc- big deal. Try to play like a
es from 12 feet, tugged her practice round.' Even then,
approach to the top of a Sei Young Kim on the 7th hole during the 2019 CME Group Tour Golf Championship at the Tiburón I was really nervous."
crown at the bag of the Golf Club in Naples, Fla., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019. She set nerves aside and
green. The winning putt Associated Press made the only putt that
— the money putt — was mattered. The $1.5 million
hit with perfect pace and million bonus to a season feeling the heat coming She closed with a 65. was more than she had
broke sharply to the right points race, CME Globe down the stretch as Dani- Hull birdied five of her last made all year.
as Kim pumped her fists in wanted to award $1.5 mil- elle Kang and then Hull seven, and when she saw Kim finished at 18-under
disbelief. lion in official money to any took aim. the leaderboard on the 270 and finished No. 2 on
She finished a wire-to-wire of the 60 players who quali- Kang, who made five bird- 15th, she figured she would the LPGA money list behind
victory for her third LPGA fied for the season finale. ies on the front nine, went have to birdie everything Jin Young Ko, who tied for
Tour title of the year and That's $500,000 more than quiet on the back until mak- coming. From short of the 11th and still had no com-
10th of her career. the previous record prize, ing a 30-foot eagle putt on green on the par-5 17th, plaints about her season.
This was memorable for the $1 million at the U.S. Wom- the 17th. She hit 4-iron into she hit putter up the slope Ko won LPGA player of the
finish and the reward. en's Open. 15 feet on the final hole, to tap-in range to get with- year, the money title and
Instead of a $500,000 first- Kim, who never trailed dur- and her birdie attempt to in one shot of Kim. And on the Vare Trophy for the low-
place check and a $1 ing the final round, was tie for the lead was short. the 18th, she walked in the est scoring average.q

Kipchoge, US hurdler Muhammad

named world athletes of year

Associated Press choge's only competitive I'm so thankful to be here,"
MONACO (AP) — Pioneer- race this year came when she said.
ing marathon runner Eliud he won the London Mara- Muhammad beat fellow
Kipchoge and U.S. hurdler thon in April. nominees Brigid Kosgei,
Dalilah Muhammad were "I am happy to be the first who broke the women's
named the world athletes human being to run under marathon world record,
of the year in track and two hours. I hope that I in- and Sifan Hassan, who won
field on Saturday. spired a lot of generations," world gold in the 5,000 and
Kipchoge became the first Kipchoge told the awards 10,000 meters.
man to run a sub-two-hour ceremony via video link. The world 5,000-meter silver
marathon, though the feat Muhammad won world medalist Selemon Barega
wasn't officially recognized championship 400-me- of Ethiopia was named
as a world record. That's ter hurdles in world record male rising star of the year,
because he ran on his own, time. She earlier broke the while Ukrainian high jump In this Oct. 12, 2019, file photo, marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge,
with a rotating group of record in July at the U.S. silver medalist Yaroslava from Kenya, celebrates after crossing the finish line of the INEOS
pacemakers and in strictly championships. Mahuchikh was the female 1:59 Challenge after 1:59:40 in Vienna, Austria. Associated Press
controlled conditions. Kip- "It's been an amazing year. rising star.q