Trailing by 4 photographs heading into the ultimate spherical of the Founders Classic, Jin Young Ko acquired a bit of inspiration about comeback wins watching fellow South Korean Sung-jae Im rally from an enormous deficit to win on the KPGA Tour.
If he might do it, why not her?
Ko overcame a pair of deficits to win the Founders Cup for the third time in 5 years, getting the victory on the primary playoff gap Sunday when defending champion Minjee Lee three-putted for bogey.
“He played Korea tournament this week and he won,” the 27-year-old Ko stated. “He was five shot behind the lead and he made it to win, so that was inspire me.”
Ko felt all she wanted to do was play properly on the tree-lined Upper Montclair Country Club.
“This golf course is not easy. Fairways are narrow and greens are firm and windy,” Ko stated. “But I shoot really, really good and, yeah I feel really good and it’s honor to get third trophy Cognizant Founders Cup.”
In successful for the fifteenth time on the LPGA Tour and the second time this yr, Ko shot a remaining round-best 5-under 67 in powerful, windy circumstances. She pressured the playoff making a clutch downhill birdie from roughly 15 ft on No. 18 to tie for the lead. It was her third straight birdie on the outlet.
The gamers went again to the par 4 No. 18 for the playoff. Both gamers hit the inexperienced with their second photographs with Lee being about 15 ft away and nearer than Ko, who had a winding putt from proper to left.
Ko snuggled her birdie try and tap-in vary and Lee went for the win, however putted it six ft previous the outlet, lacking the par saver to the precise. Ko tapped in after which ran over and hugged her caddie, David Brooker.
Lee gave away what would have been her ninth win on tour by squandering a three-shot 54-hole lead early after which blowing a two-shot lead with three holes to play with a bogey at No. 16 and the Ko’s late birdie.
Lee shot a final-round 1-under 71 and completed the 72-hole occasion at 13-under 275.
Lee stated she clearly would have most well-liked the win.
“But looking back at my whole year and just kind of assessing where I am, how I did this week, I think a lot more positives than negatives,” she stated. “I’m a little bit disappointed, but I think I can take more of the happy moments into my next stretch of events and the rest of the year.”
Ko is the one participant to repeat on this occasion, successful in 2019 and 2021. No occasion was held in 2020 due to COVID-19. Her three titles are essentially the most by any winner within the occasion’s 12-year historical past.
Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa, who received the AIG Women’s Open final yr, completed third at 10 beneath, a shot forward of South Korean rookie Hae Ran Ryu within the occasion that honors the 13 founders of the LPGA Tour.
Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand, Aditi Ashok of India and American Angel Yin shared fifth place at 7-under — a shot forward of Nasa Hataoka of Japan.
Lee began the spherical with a three-shot lead over Yin and Ashok with Ko in a gaggle 4 off the lead. Ko closed the hole to 2 photographs with birdies at Nos. 3 and 4, and and Lee handed the opposite two photographs again when she hit a “fat” iron on the par 3 No. 6 into the water for a double bogey.
That created a quick three-way tie for the lead with Yin at 10-under. Yin had began the day three photographs off the lead and acquired to 10-under with a birdie at No. 2.
Ko briefly took the lead with a birdie at No. 7 and Lee answered from 10 ft minutes. Ko took at 1-shot with a birdie on the par-5 twelfth, however Lee opened a two-shot edge with birdies at 11, 12 and 15.
Lee opened the door for Ko with a bogey at No. 16 after lacking the golf green and Ko walked in with a deft downhill birdie putt at No. 18.
Ko joins Lilia Vu as the one gamers with a number of wins on tour this yr. She earned $450,000 from the $3 million purse and now has handed the $11 million mark in profession earnings. It strikes her into the top-20 on the profession checklist, surpassing Brooke Henderson, Amy Yang and Na Yeon Choi.
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MOTHER’S DAY: Before starting play on this week’s event, Brittany Lincicome checked out her course yardage e book from a yr in the past. Written in it was ‘six months pregnant’.
After ending play on Sunday, the 37-year-old thought again on her previous yr. Her second daughter, Sophia, was born and Lincicome is again on tour. This was her fifth occasion and she or he shot a final-round 73 to complete tied for 52nd at 4 over. Her greatest end was a tie for twenty third within the Chevron Championship.
“Now having her here with me, it’s such a joy to go out and play golf, hopefully play well, but then to see her smiling face at the end of the round makes it all better.”