Ji Wins Kia Classic With Final Round Ace

Fairytale Finish for Ji

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Walt Disney couldn’t have dreamed up a more thrilling finish to Eun-Hee Ji’s finish on Sunday. 

Ji, who adores Mickey Mouse and goes by the nickname of the famous character, won with an ace on Sunday’s closing stretch to capture her fourth career win on the LPGA Tour at the Kia Classic. Ji carded a final round 5-under par, 67 to win by two-strokes ahead of Cristie Kerr and Lizette Salas. 

The 2009 U.S. Women’s Champion stepped on the tee at the par 3, 14^th hole with a one-stroke lead, but walked off with a three-stroke lead and a new car. Ji made a hole-in-one with a seven iron from 166 yards to win the car sitting on the hole, a 2019 Kia Sorrento. The ace is the eighth of her career. The hole-in-one came at just the right time as it extended her lead ahead of a charging Cristie Kerr, who had just made birdie up ahead to pull within striking distance of the lead. 

But like any great story, there was drama till the end. Ji dropped a shot at the next hole to leave the door open for Kerr. But Kerr, who was trying to recover from a 75 on Saturday, failed to capitalize. She made bogey at the par 4, 16^th to give Ji a three-stroke lead with four holes to play. Ji dropped a shot at the last to win by two.

The win is the second in six months for the Korean, who prior to winning last October in Taiwan had gone eight years without a victory since her win at the U.S. Women’s Open.