Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko has snapped her winless streak in emphatic fashion with victory at the LPGA tour event in San Francisco.
The former world No.1 went head-to-head with Australia’s Minjee Lee through the final few holes of the Mediheal Championship, ultimately winning a sudden-death playoff hole to secure her first tour triumph since July 2016.
Ko began the final round with a three-shot advantage over Lee and, despite a handful of bogeys, carried that as far as the 17th hole, when an audacious bunker shot saw the Australian draw even to set up a tense finish.
Lee birdied on the final hole only to be matched by Ko’s effort, the Kiwi’s approach shot rolling just inches shy of dramatically clinching the championship.
Ultimately, Ko was able to produce her best when it mattered most, playing a stunning chip shot to set up an eagle on the playoff hole and clinch her 15th tour title.
The relief was written across her face as she sank the final putt, bursting into tears as the frustrations of a testing couple of years - during which her world ranking has slid to No.18 - came to a head.
The 21-year-old hadn't won a tour event for two years, enduring a raft of coaching changes as she sought to recapture the kind of form that saw her take the golfing world by storm as a teenager.
"There are a lot of emotions," said Ko immediately following her win. "My whole team and my family have worked really hard for this moment, so I'm happy that a few of them are here and we can celebrate together.
"It's crazy because I was three-over at one stage today and I just told myself I had to focus, you never know what's going to happen," she said Ko. "I was able to put my game together on the back nine."
Jessica Korda shaped as Ko's biggest threat entering the final day, but the American fell off the pace, leaving the final two to slug it out in an old-fashioned trans-Tasman duel.
Ko and Lee, who were once age-group rivals, each conjured moments of magic down the stretch, most notably in respective stunners to hole from the bunker.
The Kiwi saved her best for last, putting her last approach shot just two feet from the cup from 234 yards out while Lee sprayed hers into the rough.
"I hit some really good three woods today and was able to hit a really good shot again. I didn’t know how close it was going to be, so to have a two-footer to possibly win was a pretty good feeling but also nerve racking too."
The Lake Merced course has proven one of Ko's favourite, with two previous tour wins there dating back to 2014.
Korda finished with a 74 to drop into a tie for third at 8 under with Angel Yin (67), Shanshan Feng (68) and Charley Hull (70).
Newshub.
