Fireworks get Ko to top five
Straight shot: Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko produced some final-round fireworks to claim a top-five finish in the LPGA Championship in New York yesterday.
The 17-year-old rolled in six birdies, three on the back nine as she mounted her charge to close to within one shot of the leader, American Brittney Lincicome.
But the World No 2’s challenge stalled with back-to-back bogeys on the final two holes. She missed 1-metre putts on both par fours, signing for a two-under 70 and third behind South Korea’s Inbee Park and Lincicome who finished level on 277, 11 under par for the year’s fourth major.
Park claimed the title on the first extra hole, with a par four to Lincicome’s bogey five.
Both missed the green with their second shots. Lincicome chipped first, running her ball past the pin leaving a tricky return putt. Park then chipped to within half a metre.
Lincicome’s putter let her down with the putt slipping by, while Park made no mistake with her putt to claim the title for the second year running.
It was her fifth major title and her fourth in the last two seasons. Park is projected to jump from third to second in the world, overtaking Ko who was trying to become the youngest major winner in LPGA history.
Ko’s third placing was her sixth topfive finish in a tournament and her best finish in a major since turning professional in April. Her best finish in a major was second as an amateur in the Evian Championship in France last year.
Ko, who has already won two titles in her rookie season on the LPGA Tour, had earlier carded rounds of 70, 69 and 71 at the Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford to finish on 280.
She started the final round tied for fifth, four shots behind Lincicome.
‘‘It was kind of disappointing finishing with two bogeys, but overall I played pretty solid today. I tried to give myself opportunities and made a lot of good putts.’’
Ko said the top three finish gave her a lot of confidence.
‘‘You know, majors are I guess where we try and perform to our best and to have a top five finish, I think that’s really good. Yeah, so I’m excited for next week, and yeah, you know, just I think I’ve got a lot of confidence from this week.’’
Ko gave an insight into how difficult the last three holes were.
‘‘I think 16, 17 and 18, they’re pretty tough holes, you know, especially on 16 you’ve got a long hybrid in and also the next couple. But for me, you know, I didn’t really hit the fairway on 17 and that was kind of the crucial point. I kind of was in the side of the rough and it’s not an easy chip from there. But no, I try my best and that’s all I can do.’’
The top-five finish maintained Ko’s remarkable run on the LPGA Tour. She won $150,737.
She is the only player to have won two events as an amateur, the youngest to win an event (15 years, four months and two days) and she became the youngest player to reach $1 million in career earnings in her rookie season when she won the Marathon Classic in Ohio in July.
World No 1 Stacy Lewis had the best round on the final day. The American shot a four-under 68 to tie for sixth on 283.