LPGA TOUR
Lydia Ko Returns To The Winner’s Circle After Tournament of Champions Victory
The Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions witnessed a remarkable turnaround for Lydia Ko, who, after a winless 2023 season on the LPGA Tour, claimed a two-shot victory in the opening event of the new year in Florida.
The New Zealander, aged 26, claimed her 20th career LPGA victory, becoming the 15th player in tour history to achieve such a feat. Ko’s latest victory, her 28th since turning professional in 2012, marks the 10th consecutive year she has notched at least one win. The first-place prize money of US$225,000 elevated Ko's career earnings on the LPGA Tour beyond the US$17 million mark positioning her as the fifth LPGA player to reach this significant milestone.
This triumph marks a spectacular start to 2024 for Ko. In particular, when you consider her modest two top-10 finishes from 20 LPGA tournaments last year, which led to her missing the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship for the first time in her LPGA career. The latest victory adds another point towards her LPGA Hall of Fame induction, bringing her one step closer to the 27-point threshold required for the career-defining honour.
The Kiwi exercised tremendous resilience and determination en route to victory. Starting the final round at Lake Nona with a two-shot lead over American Alexa Pano, Ko extended her advantage to four strokes after six holes. She maintained control throughout the round, with birdies at the par-three sixth, a lead-expanding birdie at the par-five ninth, and another birdie at the 10th, moving her lead to five strokes.
Though a rare bogey at the 11th hole briefly narrowed the margin, Ko rebounded with a birdie at the par-five 15th, securing a five-shot lead with three holes to play. Despite a bogey on the 18th, Ko's victory remained undisputed.
Ko signed for a final round 2-under 70 to reach 14-under. Pano matched Ko’s daily score to finish at 12-under. Canada’s Brooke Henderson moved up to outright third place at 10-under after he final round 4-under 68 that included a run of four consecutive birdies from the 7th hole.
Grace Kim was the only Australian in the field. The 23-year-old from Sydney started strong with an opening round 3-under 69. However, the 2023 Lotte Championship winner dropped back to 29th place after rounds of 74, 75 and 75 left her at 5-over for the event.
Final Scores
1. Lydia Ko -14
2. Alexa Pano -12
3. Brooke Henderson -10
T4. Cheyenne Knight -8
T4. Ayaka Furue -8
T4. Ally Ewing -8
T7. Charley Hull -7
T7. Rose Zhang -7
Australian
29. Grace Kim +5
Image Credit: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
