Hawaii Victory Worth The Wait For Hyo Joo Kim | LPGA | Ladies Professional Golf Association

An English proverb touts the virtues of endurance with the previous chorus: ‘Good issues come to those that wait.’ And for some, that wait can go on. And on. And on and on, solely to supply a satisfying reward after what can seem to be an infinite delay that assessments each resolve and fortitude.

In her tenth try, Hyo Joo Kim captured the LOTTE Championship on Sunday. As one among a handful of gamers who has performed each time the Tour has teed it up in Hawaii, Kim grew in her willpower over the past decade so as to add her identify to the trophy that bears her longtime sponsor’s identify.

Via the years, Kim had twice cracked the highest 5, however in anticipation of the Tour’s return to Hawaii, she amped up her preparation in an effort to enhance her probabilities of lastly incomes her breakthrough win.

“The data aren’t as I anticipated, as I might count on, and it was a little bit unhappy personally for me,” Kim mentioned about her prior leads to Hawaii. “Nevertheless, I ready quite a bit for this 12 months’s championship so it is all of the extra significant and particular for me to win this championship this 12 months.”

Because the Tour makes its transfer stateside for back-to-back weeks in California, it is going to be Brooke Henderson, the defending champion of the DIO Implant LA Open, who may have her endurance examined.

Thursday, Henderson returns to motion in Los Angeles after withdrawing, attributable to sickness, from the LOTTE Championship. It appeared doubtless that the Canadian would earn her first win of the season in Hawaii as Henderson returned to the island enjoying a number of the most constant golf of the season having completed no worse than thirteenth in her first six begins of the 12 months. However a gap spherical of 74, mixed with not feeling one hundred pc, despatched Henderson packing alongside together with her hopes of a three-peat.

However the 24-year-old will get one other shot at a repeat when she returns to Los Angeles. In reality, it’s one thing Henderson has finished very often in her profession. Twice she has efficiently defended her title – in Portland and Hawaii – and has gained a number of occasions in Michigan. When Henderson finds a venue she likes, she tends to win time and again.

“I’m excited to get again to a spot with so many particular reminiscences,” Henderson mentioned about her journey again to Wilshire Nation Membership. “Hopefully, I can play effectively once more this 12 months and repeat what I did final 12 months.”

The lengthy wait to win once more can appear infinite, and it is one Henderson endured through the COVID-shortened season of 2020. That 12 months, the younger Canadian went with out a victory for the primary time in her six seasons on the LPGA Tour. Her return to the winner’s circle in Los Angeles was made all of the sweeter in that it not solely ended that winless drought however marked her tenth profession victory on the LPGA Tour. And with it, she made historical past by turning into the winningest golfer in Canada’s historical past.

In 2021, Henderson carded a remaining spherical 67 to drag out a one stroke victory forward of Jessica Korda and a pack of main champions in Hannah Inexperienced, So Yeon Ryu and Jeongeun Lee6. Henderson will want one other robust efficiency to carry off the robust subject that’s gathered once more at Wilshire Nation Membership. World No. 1 Jin Younger Ko makes her first begin since The Chevron Championship and fourth begin of the 12 months. Danielle Kang, who additionally withdrew from the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii, returns in a bid for her second win of the season. Leona Maguire and Jennifer Kupcho, who’re already winners in 2022, are additionally within the subject.

Because the previous saying goes, good issues come to those that wait. Kim knew a factor or two about biding her time. Whereas Henderson didn’t have to attend almost so long as Kim to return to the winner’s circle, she as soon as once more finds herself in a holding sample as she anticipates all the weather of her recreation coming collectively in the correct place, on the proper time, with a view to win as soon as extra on the LPGA Tour. It’s only a matter of time.