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Florida USA (Via RNZ), January 31, 2022
New Zealand Golfer Lydia Ko has won her 17th title on the LPGA Tour.
Ko has scored a one-shot victory at the $3 million Gainbridge Tournament in Florida.
Ko started the final round with a two-shot lead over American Danielle Kang.
Kang was in front by the 12th hole before Ko regained the lead on the 15th hole.
There were some concerns for Ko on the 18th when she landed in consecutive bunkers but was able to make par and secure the win over Kang.
Financial windfall
She takes $458,000 for the win and moves to ninth on the all-time career earnings list with more than $19 million.
She had gone three years without a win until her success in April last year and scored eleven top-ten finishes in 2021.
She said that 2021 was a big turnaround year in her career.
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“It was time for me to look back and think over the things that I need to do and take a whole new approach to things. I started working with Coach Sean Foley. He has been a huge help from a technical standpoint, getting me to a stage where it natural. He also managed to clear some of the questions and some of the not so good ideas in my head. It has been much more consistent and I think when you keep knocking on the door at some point it is going to open,” Ko said after winning the Match.
The Kang Special
She admitted that it was special to play along with Kang, who described as ‘such a good friend,’ in the final round.
“She is probably the player who I have known for the longest out here. She has kind of taken me under her wing and I feel that she has always got my back. I am always there for her as well. There have not been many times that we have played together in the final group, so I just tried to focus on me and at points, it was a bit of a grind but I’m glad I could get that day,” she said.
Ko now has 21 points in the Hall of Fame standings, needing another six points to be recognised.
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