Ko wins LPGA Tour C’ship and Player of the Year Award

Miami:new Zealand’s Lydia Ko won the seasonending LPGA Tour Championship on Sunday, holding on for a two stroke victory over Ireland’s Leona Maguire that also secured her the Player of the Year prize.

Ko, who also won the tournament in 2014, pocketed the record $2 million prize for victory at Tiburon golf Club in Naples Florida with her two-under round of 70 in blustery conditions.

The 19th victory on the tour for Ko, also secured her back-to-back Vare Trophy awards, given to the player with the lowest scoring average for the season.

It has been a true return to form this year for Ko, who began the season with a victory at Boca Rio in January and then captured the BMW Championship in South Korea in October.

Ko’s second Player of the Year award follows her triumph in 2015 and the 25-year-old could now secure her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame next season.

The South-korean born Ko ended the tournament on 17-under 271 for the week, with Maguire’s even-par round of 72 leaving her 15-under.

Maguire went into the final round level with Ko ater a magnificent 9-under round of 63 but was unable to reproduce that form.

Bogeys on the fith and 14th ultimately cost the Irishwoman and her birdie on the 17th proved to be too litle too late.

Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist finished third ater shooting 67 on Sunday.

England’s Georgia Hall also shot 67 to share fourth alongside South Korean Lee6 Jeong-eun.

SVENSSON CLINCHES FIRST PGA TITLE: Canada’s Adam Svensson won his first PGA Tour title on Sunday, sinking clutch birdie puts on the 16th and 17th holes to capture the RSM Classic by two strokes.

The 28-year-old from British Columbia fired a bogey-free, six-under par 64 to win a back-nine shootout by finishing 72 holes on 19-under 263 at Sea Island golf Club on St. Simons Island, Georgia.

England’s Callum Tarren also fired a 64 to share second on 265 with Americans Sahith Theegala and Brian Harman.

Svensson, whose breakthrough came in his 70th PGA start, was among four sharing the lead before he rolled in a tension-packed 18-foot birdie put at the 16th hole.

He followed by sinking a testy downhill put from just beyond 10 feet at the par-3 17th.

Svensson punctuated the feat with a fist pump and made a routine par at 18 to claim the crown.