Kim won for the seventh time on the LPGA Tour and emerged from a long and wild Sunday in the desert at Whirlwind Golf Club with 10 birdies in the 19 holes she played.
Vu hit a splendid bunker shot on the par-5 17th to set up a short birdie to tie Kim. Her approach on the 18th bounded across the firm green, she chipped to seven feet and holed the par putt for a 68 to send the tournament into extra holes after both finished 22-under 260.
Vu missed a birdie putt from about 15 feet, setting up Kim for the win.
“The feeling was great today and I just thought one hole at a time, one birdie at a time,” Kim said through her interpreter.
Vu, who started with a two-shot lead over England’s Charley Hull (71), rolled in a short birdie putt on the par-5 12th to create a four-way tie for the lead with Kim, Allisen Corpuz and Jeeno Thitikul.
American Corpuz (66) made two birdies on the back nine, both times giving her a share of the lead, and finished third. Thailand’s Thitikul (66) charged into contention with three straight birdies, only to settle for six closing pars and fourth place.
“Had it going on the front nine. Couldn’t quite get a few to drop on the back, but overall still really proud of the week,” Corpuz said.
Kim, a 29-year-old South Korean who has 23 titles across four the main tours in women’s golf, seized control with a 31 on the front nine, followed by two birdies to start the back nine. And then she let everyone back into the tournament by hitting in the water right of the 12th green and making bogey on a par 5.
But she bounced back with an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th to break out of the four-way tie, and she two-putted for birdie on the par-5 17th to regain the lead.
Kim won $US337,500 ($A536,00), sending her over $US10 million ($A16 million) for her career on the LPGA Tour.
Defending champion Nelly Korda (69) ended 14 under and joint-22nd.
Steph Kyriacou (68) was the best-placed of the five remaining Australians in a tie for 13th after finishing 16 under, with Cassie Porter (70) three shots further back.
Hannah Green (70) completed her four rounds 10 under, Sarah Kemp (69) five under and Hira Naveed (71) four under.
The LPGA next week moves 300 miles north for the T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek, north of Las Vegas.
With AAP.
© Golf Australia. All rights reserved.
