LPGA Tour: At the CME Group Tour Championship, Lydia Ko defeated Ireland’s Leona Maguire by two strokes to claim her 19th LPGA Tour victory.
Ko and Maguire were tied going into the final round, but Ko prevailed over her opponent and took control with a seven-foot birdie putt on the 16th to finish with a two-under 70 and claim the victory by two shots.
Ko wiped away her tears as she made par on the final hole at Tiburon Golf Club, earning the largest prize in women’s golf history: a $2 million check.
Ko remarked, “Today, there were a lot of things on the line. “I was determined to play my best round of golf. I was aware that the battle would be difficult, especially given the challenging circumstances.”
Maguire’s hopes started to dim when she missed a fairway wood on the par-five 14th hole that was so thin that it didn’t cross the hazard.
After taking a penalty drop, she was still unable to reach the green due to the strong wind and had to use a wedge to climb up and down in order to avoid making bogey.
On Sky Sports Golf, Trish Johnson said, “I don’t think Leona (Maguire) put enough pressure on Lydia (Ko).”
“She needed a chance to make an eagle or a birdie to get within one, so the bogey at 14 was really hard to forgive. Her hardest shot of the week was hit, which really wounded her.”
Anna Nordqvist and Georgia Hull were defeated in the final round of 72 by Maguire, who won second place and $550,000 of the $7 million prize.
Lydia Ko wins the biggest prize in women's golf! 👏
She takes home the $2 million check by winning the 2022 CME Group Tour Championship! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/dVBiPQFaMm
— LPGA (@LPGA) November 20, 2022
Ko won the Vare Trophy for having the lowest scoring average for the second consecutive year, as well as the points-based award for LPGA Player of the Year for the second time.
Along with the triumph, she received one point each for Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy, giving her a total of 25 points toward the necessary 27 points to be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Johnson said, “I think Lydia (Ko) has suddenly realised what golf she’s been playing this year.
“From here, it’s difficult to see her emotions, but after the victory, you could tell how much it meant to her. She had no idea how good she had been this year or what it meant to her. She’s only 25 years old, but the possibilities are endless.
“Leona felt let down. She probably has higher standards for herself. There was a score available, and Anna Nordqvist and Georgia Hall both went five under par, giving Ko some competition.”
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