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Christina Kim wins first LPGA title in nine years

 
Christina Kim beats Shanshan Feng in a playoff at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
Christina Kim beats Shanshan Feng in a playoff at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
Published Nov. 17, 2014

MEXICO CITY — Christina Kim won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title in nine years, beating Shanshan Feng in a playoff after blowing a five-stroke lead in the final round.

Kim won with par on the par-4 18th on the second extra hole. She won for the first time since the Tournament of Champions in November 2005. She also won the 2004 Longs Drug Challenge.

"This is the greatest win in my life, without a doubt," Kim said.

She celebrated with an exuberant dance and jumped up and down on the green. Kim hugged caddie T.J. Jones, boyfriend Duncan French and friend Michelle Wie. Wie wiped away tears after embracing Kim. French is Wie's caddie.

"I can't put into words how I'm feeling right now," Kim said. "I'm still riding so many emotions. It feels surreal. … I'm so overwhelmed right now."

Kim bogeyed the final hole of regulation for 1-under 71, leaving her tied with Feng (66) at 15-under 273.

After bogeying Nos. 14 and 15 to fall into a tie for the lead, Kim rebounded with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to take a one-stroke advantage into the 72nd hole.

Inbee Park (68) was third at 11 under. Seminole's Brittany Lincicome (69) and So Yeon Ryu (71) followed at 9 under.

PGA Europe: Brooks Koepka won his first tour title at the Turkish Airlines Open in Belek, and Rory McIlroy won the tour's money title for the second time in three years without playing in the tournament.

Koepka overcame a two-shot deficit in the final round to win the tour's penultimate event of the year by one over Ian Poulter. He shot 7-under 65 for 17-under 271. Poulter (67) had a chance to force a playoff on the final hole but missed a 5-foot birdie putt. Third-round leader Wayne Ormsby (71) finished in a group of four at 13 under.

Koepka's win means he will finish the year ranked inside the top 50, which carries an automatic invitation to the Masters.

In the money-title race, McIlroy won when closest challengers Marcel Siem, Jamie Donaldson and Sergio Garcia didn't win the tournament.

The tour year concludes with this week's World Tour Championship in Dubai, in which McIlroy will play.

PGA: Charley Hoffman shot 5-under 66 to rally from a three-shot deficit and win the OHL Classic by one at 17-under 267 over Shawn Stefani (69) in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Round 3 leader Jason Bohn shot 74 and finished five back in the tour's final event of the calendar year.