Sue Kim wins the 2015 Florida's Natural Charity Classic

Florida’s Natural Charity Classic
Lake Wales Country Club
Lake Wales, Florida
Final Round News & Notes

LAKE WALES, Fla., March 29, 2015 - Sue Kim (Langley, British Columbia) made a 25-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole to seize the lead and never looked back as she carded a 2-under 70 on Sunday to win the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic at 5-under 211. Kim earns her second-career Epson Tour victory and moves to the top spot on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.

With the $18,750 first place check, Kim has now accumulated $20,201 through three events.

“It feels great,” said Kim. “I’ve had some great finishes at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic and it feels great to finally win it.”

Kim, who came into the final round three shots off the lead, made bogey on the third hole to fall back to 2-under. She carded four birdies over her next six holes to make the turn at 5-under, one shot up on Brittany Henderson. Iacobelli, who entered the day with a 3-shot lead, faded early with back-to-back bogeys on the second and third holes and then a bogey on the fourth and a double-bogey on the fifth.

“It was a great tournament for me from the first day forward,” said Kim, who was the only player in the field under par all three days (70-71-70). “I had the right people around me this week to get me in position to win. It was a great patient tournament for me to grab the W.”

On the back nine, Kim birdied hole 13 to gain some breathing room and cruised to the finish. She made par on the final four holes.

“My iron play was really good the last three days, I didn’t have many misses,” said Kim, who moved from Korea to Canada when she was 10-years-old. “The course was playing short and firm so I had some shorter irons in and that gave me more birdie opportunities.”

The 24-year-old, who hit 40 of 54 greens in regulation for the week, finished sixth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list in 2013 to earn LPGA Tour membership in 2014. She struggled on the LPGA Tour last year, missing the cut in 11 of 19 events.

“Words can’t describe how important a win is out here,” said Kim. “This is definitely a confidence booster and let’s me know that I can go back out on LPGA and compete. This win definitely gives me a good mindset to go back out there.”

Kim last won on the Epson Tour in 2013 at the Decatur-Forsyth Classic. The win was especially meaningful for Kim because it came on father’s day. Kim lost her dad, Jong, three years prior in a fatal car accident.

Kim, who now resides in ChampionsGate near Orlando, had a great support system around her all week including her mom.

“I think this win was meant to be this week because of my support group,” explained Kim. “I felt really comfortable commuting back-and-forth from home. Having a friend come caddie and my mom there and playing with a fellow Canadian made it feel like a casual round of golf.”

TEAM HENDERSON FINISHES T2: Sisters Brittany and Brooke Henderson found themselves in a tie for second at 2-under 214 at the conclusion of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic.

“It’s a really good feeling,” Brooke said. “It would’ve been better to be one and two but Sue had a great week and I’m happy for her.”

“It’s awesome,” Brittany added. “That’s kind of what you want during the week. It turned out pretty well. I think we both wanted to play a little bit better today but it’s awesome to be right there neck-and-neck.”

Playing in the final group, Brittany shot a 2-over par 74 to finish up at 2-under for the week, three strokes behind winner Sue Kim.

“It was ok,” Brittany said of her play. “Not as good as I would have hoped. I had a lot of pars and I just didn’t make a lot of my opportunities that I gave myself. I just didn’t capitalize on my chances. All-in-all it was a good day playing with Sue, since we were on Team Canada back in the day. I’m really happy for her.”

Brooke was a sponsor invite and used a solid day of 2-under to climb from a tie for sixth into the runner-up position. “I didn’t play as well as I would have liked but it was a great week,” Brooke said. “I’m just fortunate and blessed to have these opportunities to go out and compete out here on the Epson Tour and the LPGA. It’s (Epson Tour) a lot of fun and I got a feel for how these players play and they’re pretty good out here. It’s like the motto says, it’s the Road to the LPGA and it’s the future stars of the LPGA.”

The duo plans to head back to Smith Falls, Ontario, to spend Easter with their family. Following the time off they will head in different directions as Brooke will attempt to Monday qualify for LPGA events in Hawaii and San Francisco while Brittany will compete in the remainer of the Epson Tour’s Florida swing at the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial and the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay.

Brittany Henderson is now fifth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list at $11,497.

BIG WEEKEND HELPS FABIOLA ARRIAGA CLIMB LEADERBOARD: Making her debut on the Epson Tour, Fabiola Arriaga found herself in a tie for 133rd place after an opening round 80. The UT-San Antonio grad didn’t let the slow start bother her as she responded with rounds of 68 and 73 over the weekend to finish in a tie for 23rd overall.

“It feels great,” Arriaga said of her weekend finish. “It’s my first tournament on Epson and I was nervous on the first day of course. I was thinking too much and on the second day I was just like ‘ok it’s a game. I’m just going to have fun’ so everything went perfect. I had fun yesterday and today and I’m excited.”
While Arriaga expected the nerves she didn’t expect the 80.

“I was shocked but anything can happen. That’s golf,” Arriaga said. “I just told myself to give it a double thought on every shot because there were some really bad scores because of the wind and I knew I had a shot. Let’s see if I can make the cut and I made it.”

Arriaga is proud to represent Mexico and has a group, Impulsando Al Golf Profesional Mexicano (IGPM), back home that is supporting her and six other Mexican players’ dreams of reaching the LPGA like their golfing hero, 27-time LPGA winner and 2002 Epson Tour grad Lorena Ochoa.

“Lorena is a big inspiration for all of the Mexicans. Impulsando Al Golf Profesional Mexicano (IGPM), they are two ladies that support us a lot and they make us feel like a family for all of the Mexican. They do a lot of events and support us a lot so it helps a lot.”