ORLANDO, Florida – No doubt about it, this one was “Wire to Wire.” A Lim Kim teed off in Round One and never looked back. Taking on the best the LPGA had to offer, it was not enough to keep her from sweeping the field and adding her third career win to go along with the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2024 Lotte Championship to her resume.
It took A Lim Kim only four rounds, at the beautiful Lake Nona Golf Course, to put the LPGA on notice that she is someone to reckon with heading into the 2025 Season. Teeing off in the final round, in the last threesome with Linn Grant and Lydia Ko, she never flinched even as Nelly Korda, in the group ahead of her, garnered the largest and noisiest following of the day.
A late charge by Nelly, tying the score with a birdie on the par 5 15th hole, was quickly erased when Kim matched with a birdie of her own, followed by two more at 16 and 18, emerging victorious by two strokes at 20-under and a two-shot victory in the LPGA season opener at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
“I’m working on changing my shape I told you before,” said Kim in her post-round interview. “All my career I’m use a draw. I’m a really good draw player. But 130 yard inside game is not too good, so I want to change my shape and then working on it and then make it.”
Kim shot 5-under, 67 (268) in the final round. She is the second player from the Republic of Korea to win the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament Championship. This was her second start in this event finishing T15 in 2022.
Nelly Korda closed with a 65 (270) to start her 2025 LPGA season with a runner-up finish. She has yet to win a Hilton Grand Championship but certainly made a champion’s run at the title.
“Yeah, I love it. This is what I love about golf, being in the hunt on a Sunday going down the back nine,” said Korda the LPGA reigning Player of the Year. “Yeah, I mean, I played well. I wish I had a couple of those putts back this week. I three-putted 9 twice for par, and when you kind of think about it that way, you’re never going to be happy with the outcome. But I think first week back, get into contention and play well, there is never anything bad about it. Definitely wish I had a couple of those putts back.”
Linn Grant of Sweden shot (69) and finished third, five shots behind. Minjee Lee shot (62) and tied for fourth with Jin Young Ko (65). Lydia Ko started the final round four shots behind. She fell off the pace early with three bogeys in her opening six holes. She shot (70) and finished sixth.
A Lim Kim (1st place) earns $300,000 along with the Hilton Grand Vacations Championship Trophy, while Nelly Korda (2nd place) banks $227,854 and Linn Grant (3rd place) picks up $165,292.
The event again featured LPGA professionals, who have won in the past two years playing 72 holes of stroke play, alongside 51 celebrity competitors vying for a separate purse using the Modified Stableford points system.
Former NHL star, Joe Pavelski, who led after rounds two and three of the celebrity division, began the final round of his first start in the event with 109 points, seven clear of actor Jack Wagner, and 2021 and 2023 tournament champion, Mardy Fish.
On the strength of three birdies and an eagle-3 at No. 15, Pavelski found cushion enough to never lose his lead – despite double bogeys on Nos. 16 and 18. With 145 total points, Pavelski won by five over MLB second baseman and 2024 tournament winner, Jeff McNeil.
“I did not feel comfortable early on in the round, that’s for sure. Nothing felt easy early on,” Pavelski said. “But then I started making a few good swings, saw one go in and there were a few up and downs throughout the round that allowed me to gain confidence. It calmed me down for sure.”
With the win, Pavelski takes home a cool $100,000.
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