In a stunning victory at the LPGA’s HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, Lydia Ko emerged triumphant in her 11th attempt at the event, securing her first title with an impressive four-stroke win over competitors Ayaka Furue and Jeeno Thitikul in the final round held on Sunday. The 2024 Olympic gold medalist and reigning Women’s British Open champion initially faced a mediocre start but soon found her stride with a crucial birdie on the sixth hole. Building on this momentum, Ko went on to notch consecutive birdies on the seventh and eighth holes, seizing control of the leaderboard for the remainder of the round.
Despite encountering a couple of bogeys after the turn, the world No. 3 maintained composure and closed out with a strong 69, culminating in a total score of 13-under-par 275 at the Sentosa Golf Club. Reflecting on her achievement, Ko revealed, “I dreamt last night that I won, but then I woke up, and I was like, dang, it’s not real yet. But I just wanted to focus on my game.” She clinched her 23rd LPGA title and her first victory since the Kroger Queen City Championship in September last year. Acknowledging her steady start, Ko emphasized, “I started off really steady, and you know, didn’t really put myself in trouble that much. I think that was going to be the key for today.”
Notably, Ko’s previous best performance at this championship was a solitary second-place finish in 2015, making this triumph even more special for the New Zealand golfer. Runner-up Jeeno Thitikul, currently ranked world No. 2, put up a valiant effort to challenge Ko but ultimately fell short. Thitikul posted a score of 70, concluding the tournament at nine under par, tied for second place with Japan’s Ayaka Furue, who ended with a final round score of 68. Despite a strong start with two birdies in the opening four holes, Thitikul couldn’t sustain the pressure on Ko throughout the round.
Charley Hull, who was only one shot behind Ko entering the final round, saw her title aspirations dwindle after a disappointing 74, settling for a shared fourth place at seven under par alongside Im Jin Hee, who delivered the best round of the day with a score of 67, and Gaby Lopez, who carded a 70. This tournament in Singapore marks the second of three events on the LPGA’s inaugural Asian swing of the year, with the final event set to take place next week on Hainan Island, China.
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