Ko cruises to Kroger Queen City win for 3rd LPGA title of year

MAINEVILLE, Ohio — Lydia Ko prolonged her superb summer season run when she turned a two-shot deficit right into a rout by closing with a 9-under 63 to win the Kroger Queen Metropolis Championship for her third LPGA Tour title of the season.

Ko gained for the third time in her final 4 begins, which incorporates her Olympic gold medal that gave the 27-year-old from New Zealand sufficient factors for the LPGA Corridor of Fame.

It additionally consists of one other main within the Girls’s British Open, this one at St. Andrews.

“It has been fairly surreal,” Ko stated after her five-shot victory on the TPC River’s Bend over Jeeno Thitikul, who closed with a 70 and easily could not sustain.

Thitikul was two photographs forward after eight holes of the ultimate spherical. Three holes later, the Thai was chasing the most popular participant in ladies’s golf.

Thitikul made bogey on the par-4 ninth. Ko made a 10-foot birdie putt on the tenth gap to tie for the lead, after which pulled forward by two photographs with a 12-foot eagle putt on the par-5 eleventh.

Ko seized management for good with a pair of two-shot swings — she made birdie and Thitikul made bogey on the thirteenth and fifteenth holes.

Thitikul two-putted for birdie on the par-5 closing gap to at the least end alone in second, one shot forward of Haeran Ryu (67).

“It is similar to insane — it is tremendous insane. Her putter was on fireplace right this moment,” Thitikul stated of taking part in alongside Ko. “I respect her as like my older sister, as a legend, and in addition as my function mannequin. It was such a very good expertise watching her in my eyes on the identical tee field, on the identical greens, similar to VIP seat.”

Nelly Korda, the No. 1 participant in ladies’s golf who nonetheless has a cushty lead within the Race to CME Globe along with her six victories this yr, had a 68 and tied for fifth, 9 photographs behind.

Ko, who completed at 23-under 265, now has 22 profession LPGA victories. It was the fifth time she has at the least three wins in the identical season on the LPGA, her largest yr coming with 5 wins when she was 18 and reached No. 1 on the planet.

Ko additionally gained the season opener in Florida in January, however there have been occasions early in the summertime when she questioned if she would ever get the ultimate victory wanted for the LPGA Corridor of Fame.

She took care of that with Olympic gold in Paris, gained at St. Andrews for her third main and, after a three-week break, picked up as if nothing had modified.

“I had probably the most unbelievable three weeks in Europe. And now after having one other three weeks off right here, not fully certain what it may be like,” Ko stated.

She was two photographs behind Thitikul going into the ultimate spherical and was anticipating Thitikul to maintain going sturdy. The Thai did, however she fell again with bogeys on the ninth, thirteenth and fifteenth holes and Ko was on her technique to one other victory.

Ko had the low spherical of the week on the TPC River’s Bend, which was used this yr whereas Kenwood Nation Membership goes by some course enhancements.

“To have a spherical like this to cap off a win is fairly particular,” she stated.

Ko subsequent week heads to South Korea to play within the Hana Monetary Group Championship. It will likely be an opportunity for her to achieve 30 profession titles worldwide, together with victories on the Korea LPGA, the Women European Tour and the ALPG Tour in Australia.