South Korea’s Ji Eun-hee won two cars on Sunday, one thanks to a hole-in-one, the other for earning a victory in the Kia Classic at Carlsbad, California.
Ji aced the 14th hole during a 5-under-par 67, and she wound up at 16-under 272 at Aviara Golf Club.
Cristie Kerr posted a 4-under round to tie for second at 14 under with Lizette Salas, who shot 3-under.
Salas, South Korea’s Kim In-kyung and Ji shared the lead after the third round. Kim finished with a 2-under round to tie for fourth place at 13 under with Jane Park (5 under on Sunday) and Kris Tamulis (4 under).
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist (3 under), South Korea’s Lee Jeong-eun (3 under) and Taiwan’s Hsu Wei-ling (2 under) all wound up at 12 under, tied for seventh. Ji, a 31-year-old veteran who took the $270,000 winner’s check in addition to the cars, posted her fourth career victory. Her first win came in her second year on tour, 2008, and the following year she captured the US Women’s Open. An eight-year drought followed before she won the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship last October. “I hit it pretty well,” Ji said of her final round. “I drove the ball very well and putted great.”
Ji pulled away with a strong start Sunday, making five birdies and five pars on her first 10 holes, including a stretch of three consecutive birdies at Nos. 6-8.
Following her eighth lifetime hole-in-one, Ji bogeyed two of the final four holes, but she had enough of a lead to hang on.
The most memorable shot of the day came when Ji swung her 7-iron from 166 yards at the 14th hole.