Lydia Ko ended an eight-year drought by winning the AIG Women’s Open after a thrilling finish in stormy conditions at St Andrews.
The New Zealander, who won the Olympic gold medal earlier this month, made a birdie in her last tournament to close with a three-under-par 69 to win her third major at seven under par.
Last year’s champion Lilia Vu failed to make a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole to force a playoff, and she also missed by 12 inches to give Ko a two-stroke lead.
“It’s surreal,” said the 27-year-old. “Winning the gold medal in Paris a few weeks ago was almost too good to be true.
“Going into the weekend I thought, ‘How is it possible that I can win The Open?’ It’s been the most Cinderella story of the last two weeks.”
England’s Lottie Woad won the Smyth Salver as the lowest amateur, with a birdie at the last to finish on one under par.
Ko became the youngest woman to win a major when she won the Evian Championship in 2015 at age 18.
In 2016, she won the Chevron Championship, now known as the Chevron Championship. Since then, she has finished in the top 10 in the Majors 11 times, but has not been able to add to her total.
And her hopes of doing so on Sunday depended on the tension of an intriguing finale, with rain and wind battering the Old Course, as they had all weekend.
World number one Nelly Korda looked in control with a run of three birdies on four holes around the bend and she led by two points on the 14th tee.
But a few poor wedge shots around the green left her needing seven on the par-five hole and then bogeying the 17th hole to leave her tied for second place with Vu, Ruoning Yin and Jiyai Shin at five under par.
Meanwhile, Ko, playing in a group ahead, made a great up-and-down for par from the back of the 16th hole and then played a delightful second hole to the 17th, which produced an easy par to stay on six under.
Her birdie on the final hole made it seven under par and she watched from the practice green as Vu failed to equal her score of three.
When asked how she would rate this win, she replied: “That’s like asking me who I like more, my mother or my father.”
More to come.
