Sei Young Kim, the LPGA’s new Player of the Year, finally commands the attention she deserves

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There were a few wayward shots later in Sei Young Kim’s third round at the CME Group Tour Championship on Saturday that up foreshadowed what was to come in her final round.

Kim scrambled her way out of trouble in round three and entered Sunday’s final round with a one-shot lead over Jin Young Ko. But good birdie chances largely eluded her and she finished with a 72, five shots behind Ko.

While defending her title at the CME would have been sweet, and collecting the $1.1 million winner’s check even sweeter, Kim walked away with what she called the most important accomplishment of her career: the 2020 Rolex Player of the Year.

She came into the CME six points behind Inbee Park in the Player of the Year competition, an award Park won in 2013. Kim needed a finish of fifth or better and for Park to finish outside the top 10 to win the title. Park finished T-35, and Kim’s T-2 finish collected her enough points to win the title.

A 12-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Kim has long been a great, though largely obscure. Until 2020, Kim was the highest-ranked player in the world without a major championship. She took care of that by winning the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Add in her CME win in 2019, and the Player of the Year honors in 2020, and Kim’s talent no longer is such a secret.

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