Sei Young Kim won twice on the LPGA tour in 2019 before ever reaching the season finale in Naples, Florida. Those previous victories filled Kim’s pockets with just a percentage of what she walked away with on Sunday at the CME Group Tour Championship.
Kim held off a handful of charges down the stretch at Tiburon Golf Club to put her name on the biggest winner’s check in women’s golf history. Kim, 26, claimed $1.5 million for her week’s work in Naples, which is nearly three times what she won for her first two victories this season, combined.
It was a landmark week for women’s golf, largely because of the big box of cash that awaited the winner.
Kim entered the week No. 7 in the Race to the CME Globe standings. In the past, only a handful of players at the top of the Race to the CME Globe had a chance to win the $1 million bonus. This year tournament officials combined bonus money with the first-place prize and gave anyone in the 60-player field the chance at the $1.5 million payday.
That much money on the line could understandably create a mental hurdle, and at times it appeared to weigh on Kim. She blew a birdie try way past the hole at No. 17 and shared the top spot on the leaderboard with Charley Hull as she walked to the 18th tee.
Minutes earlier, Hull made birdie at No. 18 for a final-round 66 that moved her to 17 under, where Kim had staked the lead.
U.S. Solheim Cupper Danielle Kang also closed in on Sunday. Kang’s closing 7-under 65 bumped her seven spots up the leaderboard but she only got as far as 16 under. She ended up tied for third with Nelly Korda, who started the day one shot back and played in the final group with Kim but lost control of too many drives on the back nine to take control of the leaderboard.
Ultimately, Kim locked in her major payday when her 30-footer for birdie at No. 18 dropped in the left side of the hole. She won wire-to-wire after opening the week with a 65 and holding on for a final-round 70. Kim was 18 under total.
The CME title was Kim’s 10th career LPGA victory and helped gave her financial stability in this career for the forseeable future.
The breakdown for the top five players on the leaderboard is as follows:
CME Group Tour Championship
Total purse: $5 million
1st place: $1.5 million
2nd: $480,000
3rd: $310,882
4th: $226, 432
5th: $175,912
