Kim Hyo-joo jumps to No. 5 after Se Ri Pak Invitational win

Kim Hyo-joo won the OKSavingsBank Se Ri Pak Invitational at Sejong Silkriver in Sejong, Cheongju on Sunday, a result that landed herself at No. 5 in the world on the Rolex ranking.

Kim Hyo-joo celebrates winning the OKSavingsBank Se Ri Pak Invitational at Sejong Silkriver in Sejong, Cheongju on Sunday. [KLPGA]

Kim Hyo-joo won the OKSavingsBank Se Ri Pak Invitational at Sejong Silkriver in Sejong, Cheongju on Sunday, a result that landed herself at No. 5 in the world on the Rolex ranking.

Kim spends most of her time abroad as an LPGA Tour golfer, but returned to Korea in September to play the KLPGA major the KB Financial Group Star Championship at Blackstone Golf Club in Icheon, Gyeonggi, alongside fellow LPGA golfers Park In-bee and Chun In-gee, where she finished sixth.

Kim stayed another week to compete in the Se Ri Pak Invitational, where she showed off her international experience, making a big comeback in the third and final round on Sunday to win the title. The win saw her world ranking jump from No. 7 to No. 5.

Pak Se-ri claps for Kim Hyo-joo after Kim won the OKSavingsBank Se Ri Pak Invitational at Sejong Silkriver in Sejong, Cheongju on Sunday. [KLPGA]

Kim headed into the third and final round tied at second with Jang Ha-na, who won the KB Star Championship, but it was Kim who emerged victorious at the end of the day. Despite bogeying the par-4, second, she was able to make up for the bogey two holes later on the par-5 fourth. That seemed to have put Kim back on form as she pulled off three consecutive birdies.

With the four birdies in the first nine and then another four in the second half, Kim carded a 66 on the last day despite two bogies to take the title, two strokes ahead of runner-up Hong Jung-min.

Kim Hyo-joo celebrates winning the OKSavingsBank Se Ri Pak Invitational at Sejong Silkriver in Sejong, Cheongju on Sunday. [KLPGA]

“I wanted to play well for my fans before I head back to the LPGA Tour and I am glad that I was able to achieve that," Kim said. "I think it’s even more meaningful for my family because I won during the Chuseok holiday.”

Kim now heads back to the United States to join the LPGA Tour. She will sit out the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship starting Thursday at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas. After playing two LPGA events abroad, Kim and other LPGA golfers will come to Busan to play the BMW Ladies Championship in LPGA International Busan from Oct. 21 to 24.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]