Sei Young Kim makes it interesting, but Lydia Ko wouldn't be denied at Lotte Championship

Apr. 18—The final-round back nine of Lydia Ko's runaway win at the Lotte Championship looked like a victory lap.

Drama drained away as each challenger ran out of holes or missed too many greens and too many putts. Meanwhile, Ko kept making birdies and separating from the traffic jam of the rest of the top 10 that was four, five, six and finally seven shots behind at the end.

She smashed her own career tournament scoring record and that of the event itself.

So speculation shifted to if she prepared for the winner's celebratory hula as well as she planned and executed her assault of nearly defenseless Kapolei Golf Club on a day the breezes failed to report for duty.

There was still a meaningful number out there, though—one that was within plausible reach for a while. The LPGA record for 72-hole tournament score in relation to par is minus-31. When Ko got to 26 under with six holes left to play, it looked reachable and maybe even breakable, especially considering how the LPGA had treated the course.—RELATED :—RELATED :—PHOTOS :

The holder of the record made this even more interesting. It's Sei Young Kim ... the same Sei Young Kim who after her eagle on No. 7 appeared to be the biggest threat Saturday to Ko winning her first tournament since 2018. ... The same Sei Young Kim who won the Lotte in 2014 as a rookie with a chip and a prayer. ... The same Sei Young Kim who shot 27 under in 2016 to top Ko at the Founders when Ko fashioned her previous-best tourney score of 22 under.

As crazy as it might sound, Ko and Kim were chasing each other Saturday. In Ko's case, it was without even thinking about it.

"Making the birdie span from nine to 12 I was obviously in a good momentum within myself, " she said, "Even at ANA (where she shot 10 under in the final round to nearly win it ) somebody said, 'Hey, did you think, did 59 ever come through your mind ?' I said, 'No, because when you're in that (situation ) I was getting so focused on the shot in front of me that I wasn't thinking about, 'OK, am I going to shoot this under or that under.'"

In other words, going for the letter W instead of any number.

Of course, Kim's situation was one of which she was fully conscious. Like Ko, 23, Kim is one of the best young players in the world at age 28, and she knows she has the ability to catch someone from three shots back with 11 holes to play.

But Kim missed too many birdie putts to keep pace with Ko.

"I know, after the eagle I get the good momentum, so I was thinking I have a chance to reach, chase the leader, " Kim said. "I tried to do my best, but I missed it."

And she wasn't worried about Ko maybe reaching 31 under and matching or possibly breaking her record. She wants what is good for the LPGA.

"Oh, yeah, it's congrats for her, (for ) whoever breaks my record. Because that means women's golf is improving, getting better, " she said.

It didn't happen, actually not even close. But there was a chance there for a while.

And Sei Young Kim would have been fine with it.

"I would be proud of her, " she said.