Spectacular Saturday at the BMW Ladies Championship: Both Hole-in-One Cars won.
The BMW Group has been involved in the international professional golf scene since 1989, but this was a first: two Hole-in-One Cars won on the same day. The venue for this remarkable event was Oak Valley Country Club (Wonju, South Korea). In round three of the BMW Ladies Championship, South Korean Na Yeon Choi was rewarded for her dream shot on the 12th hole with a BMW X7 xDrive40i (fuel consumption, combined in WLTP cycle: 10.6 – 9.6 l/100 km; CO2 emissions, combined in WLTP cycle: 240 – 217 g/km). A short while later, cheers rang round the course again, as Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn aced the 17th to win a BMW 740i
Spectacular Saturday at the BMW Ladies Championship: Both Hole-in-One Cars won.
For 34-year-old Na Yeon Choi, the BMW X7 is also a farewell present. The winner of the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open has announced that she is leaving the LPGA Tour after a successful career. In winning the Hole-in-One Award, she gave her home crowds another highlight to celebrate.
“That was a really good fade with the 6 iron. When I saw the ball flying towards the hole, I thought: ‘Oh my God, that might go in’. Then it rolled towards the hole and suddenly disappeared. We were screaming, the crowd was screaming, and I got goosebumps,” said Choi, describing the big moment.
“That was the 15th ace of my career – and the best of my life. It feels like my hard work over the past 18 years has paid off. It is an amazing gift at the end of my career.”
Ariya Jutanugarn discovered on the 17th hole just how quickly dreams can sometimes come true. “Before I hit the shot, we were sat next to the car chatting about what car we have. We pointed at the BMW 7 Series and agreed that this would be our dream car.” Just a few minutes later, that dream was a reality for the 26-year-old.
“I think I had 171 yards to the pin. That is a full 7 iron for me,” said the two-time major winner. “At first, I thought it was a little bit short. But somehow the ball rolled on and into the hole. It is unbelievable. Ever since I arrived here at the BMW Ladies Championship, I have not been able to stop looking at the cars.”
Jutanugarn could also have a second reason to celebrate on Sunday. After three rounds, she lies eighth on the leaderboard on 10 under par, five shots behind the leader, her compatriot Atthaya Thitikul (-15). Tied in second place are Lydia Ko (NZL) and Andrea Lee (USA, both -14), ahead of Lilia Vu (USA, 13). After a spectacular Saturday, it promises to be a thrilling final round at the BMW Ladies Championship.
