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The ladies of the LPGA Tour headed to the Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beah, Oahu, Hawaii for the Lotte Championship. The event, which started in 2012, played over 72 holes on a par 72 layout of 6397 yards. Last year, Lydia Ko entered the final round of tournament with a one-shot lead over Nelly Korda. After failing to hold a lead at the 2020 Marathon Classic, Ko finished held on to her 54-hole lead with a 65 on the final day. Her 28-under par total earned her 16th career LPGA Tour win and her first in three years. The purse for this year’s tournament was $2 million with 500 points towards the Race to the CME Globe for the winner.

First Round

Hannah Green bolted to the lead after a round of 66 that included eight birdies and two bogeys. At six-under par, she was one shot clear of Aditi Ashok, Alison Lee, Gemma Dryburgh, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, and Hyo Joo Kim. A group of four that included Gaby Lopez and Janie Jackson were just two shots off the pace. Lurking at three-under par was defending champion Lydia Ko and Min Lee. A large group of 13 that included notables Ariya Jutanugarn and Anna Nordqvist were at two-under. Scoring was excellent in the first round and it continued with 23 players at one-under, including the likes of AtthayaThitikul, Celine Boutier, and Leona Maguire. Six shots back and still in the mix included In Gee Chun, Megan Khang, and Sophia Popov. On the projected line included Yuka Saso and Austin Ernst. Jennifer Kupcho suffered a three hole stretch on the back nine at four-over par and was at two-over par. Nasa Hataoka was at three-over after a round of 75 and Inbee Park uncharacteristically shot at 80. Brooke Henderson and Danielle Kang withdrew after their opening rounds.

Second Round

Hyo Joo Kim took over the lead after 36 holes after a 67 put her at 10-under par. She held a three-shot cushion over Sarah Kemp and four over Ariya Jutanugarn and Haeji Kang. A Lim Kim got into the thick of things after a round of 67 put her at five-under par along with Na Rin An. Six shots back at the halfway point included Hye-Jin Choi, Janie Jackson, Gemma Dryburhg, and Aditi Ashok, who struggled to a round of 73. A three-under par round by Ryann O’Toole put her in a six-way tie at three-under. Notables that made the cut but were eight shots back included first-round leader Hannah Green who shot a 76, and In Gee Chun. Still under par and sticking around for the final two days included Emily Pedersen, who posted a round of 69. Lydia Ko shot herself out of the tournament after a round of 75 left her ten off the pace. Also having a difficult time was Jodi Ewart Shadoff after a round of 77. Gaby Lopez had a nightmarish four-over par stretch from 11 through 13 and also posted a 77. Notables missing the cut included Sophia Popov (seven-over), Moriya Jutanugarn and Nasa Hataoka (eight-over), and Inbee Park (nine-over).

Third Round

Hyo Joo Kim maintained the lead after a steady round of 72 that included two birdies and two bogeys. Brianna Do opened her round with three consecutive birdies and finished with a 67 and was three shots back. Hinako Shibuno posted four-under par on the back nine and was also three shots off the pace. Somi Lee and Stephanie meadow were within striking distance at six-under. Megan Khang ran off five straight birdies to finish her round and was in at five-under along with Ariya Jutanugarn. A solid round of 67 put Ruixin Lin in a group of four at four-under par. Dewi Weber, In Gee Chun, and Ryann O’ Toole were another shot back and likely out of the mix at three-under par. Notables include Celine Boutier (one-under), Sarah Kemp (one-under after a round of 78), Aditi Ashok (even), Lydia Ko (one-over), Yuka Saso (four-over), Yealimi Noh (five-over), and Leona Maguire (six-over).

Final Round

There were plenty of low scores, along with some surprisingly high scores in the final round. Brittany Altomare jumped from 52nd to a tie for 10th after a round of 66 that included an eagle on the par four 3rd. Paula Reto also posted a 66 after a third round of 83 and finished at five-over par. AtthayaThitikul vaulted from 33rd to 6th after a round of 67. Jodi Ewart Shadoff rebounded from two poor rounds with a 67 and finished at one-under par. Also posting a 67 was Su Oh, who finished at three-over par. On top of the leaderboard was Hyo Joo Kim, who won her fifth LPGA Tour title with a score of 11-under par. She finished two shots ahead of Hinako Shibuno and four shots ahead of Hye-Jin Choi. Ashleigh Buhai and Somi Lee rounded out the top five. Notables include Celine Boutier (three-under), Ariya Jutanugarn and Brianna Do (both at two-under after a combined eight-over par in the final round), Jennifer Kupcho and Lydia Ko (one-under), Gaby Lopez (even), and Megan Khang (one-over after a round of 78).

Coming Up

The LPGA Tour heads to the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, California for the Dio Implant LA Open from April 21-24. The 72-hole event is in its fourth year and is played on a par 71 layout of 6450 yards. Last season, Brooke Henderson came from behind to post a final round of 67. Her 16-under par total of 268 was good enough for a one-shot win over Jessica Korda and Jin Young Ko. The purse for the tournament is $1.5 million with 500 points towards the Race to the CME Globe to the winner.