A comeback brought about by fantastic chemistry, the hope of winning the LPGA shot by Kim Hyo-joo and Choi Hye-jin > News

The performance shown by Kim Hyo-joo and Choi Hye-jin in this tournament can be evaluated as showing the essence of crisis management ability. In the third round held on the 14th, the two players faced the variable of strong winds and continued to play a difficult match, but they made up for each other's shortcomings and worked together fantastically to score 1 under par 69. In particular, in this day's match, which was played in a foursome format, Kim Hyo-joo struggled with par ons, but each time, Choi Hye-jin maintained the team's momentum by catching a birdie at a critical moment. Choi Hye-jin also found psychological stability by relying on her reliable partner, Kim Hyo-joo, in every tense moment, and as a result, she recorded an intermediate total of 10 under par and 200 strokes, taking the sole lead. This result was possible because the two players played the game based on deep trust in each other beyond individual performance.

The characteristic of this leaderboard is that Korean players are putting strong pressure on the championship. While Kim Hyo-joo and Choi Hye-jin led by one stroke, Kim A-rim and Yoon Ina rose to sixth place, further fueling the competition for the championship. In addition, the 'defending champions' Jinhee Lim and Somi Lee also tied for 7th place, showing off their ability to move up to the top at any time. This means that Korean players are maximizing their individual strengths and showing quick adaptability even in the unfamiliar format of team competitions. In particular, in contrast to the world's No. 1 player, Nelly Korda, who lost 6 strokes and was pushed down to tied 13th place, the even performance of Korean players completely shook up the game of this tournament. The rapid progress of Korean players serves as an opportunity to once again confirm Korea's status as a golf powerhouse on the world stage.

This competition also has a very special meaning for Hyejin Choi. For Choi Hye-jin, who has steadily improved her skills since debuting on the LPGA Tour in 2022 but has yet to lift the championship cup, this Dow Championship is a golden opportunity for her first win in her career. The fact that Choi Hye-jin, a veteran with over 100 game appearances, is teaming up with a reliable ‘older sister’ named Kim Hyo-joo is a factor that further increases the chances of winning. On the other hand, for Kim Hyo-joo, this win will be a significant milestone as she achieves her 3rd win of the season along with a personal record of 10 wins. The conflicting goals of the two players are perfectly harmonized under one goal, 'winning the team', and this is a powerful driving force that creates synergy effects for each other.

The way the competition is run also serves as a key variable in winning. The 1st and 3rd rounds are played in a foursomes format, with two players taking turns, and the 2nd and 4th rounds are played in a fourball format, with players each playing and then selecting a good score. This requires strategic flexibility from players. Kim Hyo-joo expressed her strong confidence in the final round, expressing her ambition to each try to catch more birdies in the four-ball format. On the other hand, the fighting spirit of Julie Inkster, who set the record for the oldest player to pass the cut on the tour at the age of 65, shows that this tournament is not just a banquet for young players, but a stage where golf spirit and expertise coexist. In the final round of the Dow Championship, where these various narratives are intertwined, the direction of victory will likely depend not only on technical skills but also on who can overcome the pressure more courageously.