Yealimi Noh will always remember her first LPGA victory, but this will shine not just because she won, but who she beat to do it.

The 23-year-old Californian shot a three-under 68 to beat 15-time LPGA winner Jin Young Ko by four shots to win the Founders Cup Sunday at Bradenton Country Club in Florida.

“It was amazing being paired with Jin Young the last two days,” Noh said. “It was my first time playing with her [Saturday], and it was awesome to watch. I knew she wasn’t going to make any mistakes and be really solid. When I saw my opportunity and kept it together, I was really proud of myself. It was awesome to watch her play and learn from her, too.”

World No. 1 Nelly Korda shot a final-round 71 in her hometown event to tie for seventh, nine shots back. She’ll now take an extended break and will not play in the upcoming three-event Asian swing, same as last year. She’ll return to the LPGA in March.

Noh hit the flagstick on 12, the ball ricocheting back to give her a long uphill putt. That might have seemed a bad break, but Noh ended up with a tap-in birdie (just her second of the day to that point). Ko made bogey—her first in 95 holes—and Noh never looked back after that two-shot swing.

The American’s putter was sizzling all week, and that was previously a sore spot in her game. Using a broomstick for the third season, Noh—ranked 68th in the world—went low all week with 68-64-63-68 for a 21-under 263 total and 72-hole scoring record at Bradenton.

Noh had a one-shot lead over Ko after 54 holes. She lost that lead but got it back on the back nine, a source of pride for her. Ko had won this event three times at three different venues and was looking to do it for a fourth time at a fourth venue. Noh stopped that streak and won in impressive fashion.

She built a three-shot lead with three holes to play and a four-shot lead with two holes to play. That led to her first champagne celebration on the 18th green, and even got some in her eyes.

“That was awesome. I’m so thankful for everyone who stayed,” Noh said. “I’ve done the champagne for other players and actually got it in my eye. To get it on me was awesome and something I’ll never forget.”

And she didn’t forget about her parents, who raised her in Northern California, but now all live in Dallas. Noh was scheduled to fly to Dallas on Sunday night and then San Francisco on Monday for continued celebrations.

Brian and Kim Noh were at Bradenton to see her win, and Noh got choked up talking about their impact on her. She and her dad learned to play golf together.

James Gilbert

“My parents are amazing. They’ve been with me every single day not only on the golf course but my whole life,” Noh said. “They’ve sacrificed so much for me. It’s amazing to have them both here. They’ve done so much for me.”

They were there to nurture the teenage prodigy and saw that remarkable stretch when she won the California Junior Championship and then three straight—the 2018 Girls Junior PGA Championship, U.S. Girls’ Junior and 2019 Canadian Women’s Amateur—four tournament wins in five weeks. She knew how to win, but just hadn’t done it on the LPGA. Until Sunday.

Noh earned a spot in the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. It will be her fourth time teeing it up in that major. And she’ll bring confidence with her.

“Really, really happy and proud of how I kept it together [Sunday],” Noh said. “I feel I’ve been in this position a couple times now and really learned from my past experiences and really proud I got it done today … With nerves and excitement, everything always gets a little quick for me. That translates into my swing and I sort of always miss it right, but I kept it really calm and good tempos. That’s all I was focusing on [Sunday].”

Main image: James Gilbert