Lydia Ko overturned a two-shot deficit with a 9-under 63 to win her third LPGA Tour title of the season on the Kroger Queen Metropolis Championship.
Ko has received three of her final 4 tournaments, together with a gold medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics, amassed sufficient factors for the LPGA Corridor of Fame and received the St. Andrew’s Ladies’s Open.
“It is so surreal,” Gao mentioned after beating Jeeno Thitikul, who completed with a 70, by 5 strokes at TPC River’s Bend.
New Zealand’s Ko celebrates victory (AP Photograph/Carolyn Kaster)
After eight holes within the last spherical, Titikul led by two strokes. She bogeyed the par-4 ninth. Gao made a 10-foot birdie putt on the tenth gap to tie for the lead, after which made a 12-foot eagle putt on the par-5 eleventh gap to take the lead.
Ko took over after a birdie, and Titiku had bogeys on the thirteenth and fifteenth holes.
Titicul two-putted for birdie on the par-5 last gap to no less than take second place alone, one shot forward of Haeran Ryu (67).
“It is like loopy — it is loopy. Her putter was on fireplace at the moment,” Titicourt mentioned of enjoying with Ko. “I respect her as a sister to me, as a legend and as a task mannequin to me. On the identical tee, on the identical inexperienced, on the identical tee, on the identical inexperienced, similar to It was like a VIP seat and it was such an awesome expertise watching her in my eyes.
Ladies’s golf’s No. 1 Nelly Korda, who stays a distant second with six wins on this 12 months’s CME Globe, shot a 68 and tied for fifth, 9 pictures behind.
Ko had his lowest spherical of the week at TPC River’s Bend.
“With the ability to win in a spherical like that is very particular,” she mentioned.
Gao will journey to South Korea subsequent week to compete within the Asiana Monetary Group Championship. This will likely be her likelihood to realize 30 profession titles worldwide.
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