The U.S. Women’s Open runner-up Kim Hyo-joo jumped 34 spots to reach No. 33 in the latest women’s golf rankings announced Tuesday.
Kim made the biggest leap among those in the top 50. Especially after losing to Ariya Jutanugarn on the fourth playoff hole. This was at the oldest major championship in women’s golf over the weekend.
Kim, who once reached No. 4 in 2015, began the 2018 season in 48th place. She is still looking for her first LPGA win since January 2016. She is also know for winning the 2014 Evian Championship. It was in that tournament that she sett the record for lowest 18-hole score at a major with a 61 in the first round. Since then, she has been a sports betting favorite when it comes to golf.
Kim Hyo-Joon and her future in the LPGA
Kim rallied from a seven-shot deficit with nine holes to play to force a playoff with Jutanugarn. Jutanugarn finished regulation with back-to-back bogeys. Kim had a birdie on the first hole in the two-hole aggregate playoff but gave back a shot with a bogey on the next hole. The two went to sudden death, and Jutanugarn beat Kim with a par on the second sudden death hole.
Jutanugarn, who now has two major titles, climbed three spots to No. 2, right behind South Korea’s Park In-bee. Park has been No. 1 since April 23.
Park is one of five South Koreans in the top 10. Park Sung-hyun slipped a spot to No. 5, one place ahead of Ryu So-yeon. Kim In-kyung trails them at No. 7. Her numbers are great, especially for someone who started her rookie year in the LPGA in 2015. In just a span of two years, her career earnings in the LPGA are at a little above $2.8 million. She has yet to break the million mark this year.