Ko back on top
HONOLULU: Lydia Ko shot a finalround 65 yesterday to cruise to a sevenshot victory at the Lotte Championship in Kapolei, Hawaii.
Ko finished at a blistering 28under 260, the secondbest score in LPGA Tour history, easily outdistancing four players who finished tied for second at 21under to take home the $300,000 prize.
It was the 16th career LPGA victory for the Koreanborn New Zealand native but the first in three years.
South Koreans Inbee Park (63) and Sei Young Kim (65), Ireland’s Leona Maguire (67) and American Nelly Korda (71) finished at 267 at the Kapolei Golf Course.
Ko, one week from her 24th birthday, played bogeyfree golf in the final round but carded just two birdies on the front nine.
But she scorched the back nine with five birdies to put the finishing touches on a 67636565 tournament.
She entered the final round with a oneshot lead.
It was Ko’s first victory since the 2018 Mediheal Championship.
Ko was relieved to have snapped her 1084day drought between victories.
‘‘When you’re in that position [to win] and it doesn’t happen, you do doubt. If I said, no, I didn’t doubt myself at all, that would be a lie,’’ Ko told the Golf Channel after her victory and her return to the winner’s circle.
‘‘Hand on my heart, there were times when I wondered, ‘Hey, I don’t know if I’m ever going to be back in the winner’s circle.’ . . . To be back in this kind of position is obviously super cool. ‘‘You know, with Jordan Spieth and Hideki Matsuyama winning the last couple weeks — and I know it’s been a while since they won, as well — that kind of gave me a little bit of hope that maybe I could follow that trend,’’ Ko said.
Under new coach Sean Foley, Ko has shown consistent signs of being back to her best, with her results in four events in 2021 also consisting of two seconds and a tie for eighth.
One of those runnerup finishes, at the ANA Inspiration major two weeks ago, included a stunning 10under 62 in her final round, the surest sign before this week that Ko was a force to be reckoned with once again.
Ko moves into a tie for 35th with World Golf Hall of Fame member Jan Stephenson for most wins on the LPGA Tour. — Field Level Media