Lydia Ko held off Ireland’s Leona Maguire in the CME Group Tour Championship final to win by two shots; Ko’s 70 ensured he finished at 17-under while Maguire posted a 72 on Sunday.
Last Updated: 20/11/22 9:59pm
Lydia Ko now takes home a $2 million check, the largest prize in women’s golf
Lydia Ko won her 19th LPGA Tour title at the CME Group Tour Championship, beating Ireland’s Leona Maguire by two shots.
Ko and Maguire entered the final round tied before Ko chased down his opponent and holed out with a seven-foot bogey on 16 to close with a two-under 70 for a 17-under victory.
Ko wiped away tears as she birdied the final hole at Tiburon Golf Club and will now collect a $2 million check, the largest prize in women’s golf.
“There were a lot of things on the line today,” Ko said. “I wanted to play the best golf I could. I knew it was going to be a tough fight, especially with how tough the conditions were.”
Please use the Chrome browser to play videos
See when Lydia Ko captured her 19th LPGA title
Maguire’s hopes began to fade when he hit the fairway iron too thin on the par-five 14th to miss the hazard.
He took a penalty drop, but was unable to reach the green in the strong wind and had to get up and down the mill to save bogey.
“I don’t think Leona (Maguire) pressured Lydia (Ko),” Trish Johnson said. Sky Sports Golf.
“The bogey on 14 was kind of unforgivable, that’s when he needed a chance to make an eagle or a birdie and get within one.
Maguire’s 72nd finish edged out Anna Nordqvist and Georgia Hull for second place and earned her $550,000 from the $7 million purse.
Ko received the LPGA Player of the Year points award for the second time, and won the Vare Trophy for the second year in a row for having the lowest score.
The Player of the Year and Vare Trophy awards are each worth one point, along with the win, giving her 25 of the 27 points needed for the LPGA Hall of Fame.
“With Lydia (Ko), I think she suddenly realized the golf she’s been playing this year,” Johnson said.
“You don’t see a lot of emotion from here, but after that (win), you saw what it meant to him. It hit him all of a sudden, how well he’s played this year and what it means to him. The sky’s the limit. And he’s still only 25 years old.
“Leona was disappointed. I think she expected more from herself. There were goals out there, Anna Nordqvist and Georgia Hall both shot five down, so there was an opportunity to put Ko under pressure.”
Find the best prices and book around one of 1,700 courses in the UK & Ireland
