Kim rises 20 spots after LPGA conquest

Kim A-lim jumped 20 spots in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings to land in 35th place following a victorious performance in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Sunday.

Kim ruled the tournament with a dominant wire-to-wire performance to lift her second LPGA trophy after her previous Tour win at the Lotte Championship in November last year.

Kim has steadily climbed the rankings since the end of last year when she had slipped to 72nd at one point. She reached No. 57 after her Lotte Championship win.

The 2025 LPGA season offers plenty of opportunities for her to rise further in the rankings, with last week’s tournament marking the season opener for a campaign that will last through November.

American Nelly Korda still sits on top of the rankings while Ryu Hae-ran is the highest-ranked Korean golfer at No. 7 as of press time Tuesday.

LPGA veteran Ko Jin-young, who set the record for the most weeks spent at No. 1 with 159 weeks in 2023, has recently slipped and now sits in 11th place.

But Kim’s victory in LPGA’s season opener was truly remarkable.

Kim, the 2020 US Women’s Open champion, fired a five-under-par 67 to finish on 20-under 268 after 72 holes at Lake Nona in Orlando.

“Today it was not my focus. I don’t care,” Kim said of Korda’s pressure as she began her 2025 campaign.

“Good start but that’s all. I’m going to focus on the next tournament and then focus again on my game.”

Korda, who won seven LPGA titles in 2024, shot 65 to finish two adrift on 270, the 26-year-old US daughter of 1998 Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda missing out on her 16th career LPGA title.

“Not bad,” Korda said.

“I’m never going to complain about finishing second in a tournament and giving it a run, especially on a Sunday.”

“Definitely a couple putts I would like to have back but overall I think I’m very happy with this week and I’m excited headed for next week.”

Korda made birdie at the par-5 15th to grab a share of the lead with Kim, who in the next group tapped in for her own birdie at 15 to reclaim the solo lead at 18-under.

Kim sank a 12-foot birdie putt at 16 with a fist pump to seize a two-shot edge.

Korda birdied the 18th to pull within one but Kim finished with a flourish, sinking an 18-foot birdie putt at the final hole to clinch victory, pumping her left fist in delight.

Sweden’s Linn Grant was third on 273 while Australian Minjee Lee fired a tournament record 10-under 62, also her career-low LPGA round, to finish on 274 and share fourth with South Korea’s Ko Jin-young.