In-Kyung Kim became the Prudential Rock Solid Performer of the week after winning the LPGA State Farm Classic.

Third-year LPGA Tour player Kim wins 2009 LPGA State Farm Classic
20-year-old now a two-time winner, claiming 34th-playing of event in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., June 7, 2009 – Once In-Kyung Kim made par on her 72nd hole at Panther Creek Country Club, it wasn’t certain if the victory was hers quite yet. Playing in two groups ahead of the third-round leaders on Sunday, Kim had to wait a little longer than usual to see if the $255,000 winner’s check officially belonged to her. After a twenty minute delay due to inclement weather, play was resumed, and once the final putt dropped, Kim raised her arms in the air knowing she was the champion of the 2009 LPGA State Farm Classic.

“I just feel great. I am very excited to win this week,” said the 20-year-old Kim. “There were a lot of low scores this morning. I knew I had to make some birdies today out there. When I was on hole 17, that was the moment that I felt like, you know, I have a one-stroke lead.”

On Sunday, Kim fired a 7-under-par 65, and that turned out to be good enough for the one-stroke win, finishing at 17-under-par 271 overall (69-68-69-65). Starting strong with an opening-hole birdie, Kim followed that one with others on numbers five, six, eight, 11, 13, 16 and 17, and just one bogey on hole seven. Coming down the stretch, the two-time winner knew the importance of closing with birdies.

“I needed to make a birdie at 16 to get into a tie. Number 17 I had a good chance to make a birdie,” Kim added.

Now in her third year as a member of the LPGA Tour, Kim is a two-time winner. She captured her first title a year ago in 2008 at the Longs Drugs Challenge.