Kim Wins Founders Cup

South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim polished off her closing 5-under 67 with five birdies on the back nine to win the Hyo Joo Kim leads LPGA Tour's Founders Cup. The $1.5 million event finished Sunday at Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix.

The first three rounds by Kim were a 65, 69 and 66, giving the 19-year-old a 72-hole total of 21-under 267 and a three-stroke victory over Stacy Lewis, who closed with a 68.

After her final bogey at the 10th hole, in which she had to hit from underneath a beehive hanging on a tree limb, Kim settled down and cruised the rest of the way. "I think the situation on hole 10 helped," she said. "After I went through there and I got a bogey, I just realized there's no time to feel pressure or feel afraid. I just had to go out there and play."

As for the beehive situation, she added, "I was just scared of the bees and I didn't want to be stung. So, I kept asking if I can get relief and I kept asking and they said, 'No, you can't.' So, I just swallowed my fears and tried to play the shot as best I could."

Lewis was pleased with where she finished. "The way I played on the front, to think I could still be within a shot coming up those last few holes was pretty amazing," Lewis said. "I'm proud of the way I hung in there. I was in three divots today in the fairway, so that didn't really help things."

Tied for third at 272 were two other South Koreans, Ilhee Lee and Mi Hyang Lee, and Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum.

No. 1-ranked Lydia Ko shot her third straight 69 to finish tied for sixth at 273 with Na Yeon Choi, Anna Nordqvist, Austin Ernst and Sei Young Kim.

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