Lydia Ko ends British Open title drought

Olympic champion Lydia Ko won the Women’s British Open by two strokes after a tense and eventful final round at the windswept Old Course at St Andrews, in which four players were tied.

Ko, world No. 1 Nelly Korda, defending champion Lilia Vu and overnight leader Shin Ji-yai all finished at six under on the back nine.

In the end, New Zealander Lydia Ko took home US$1,425,000 (NZ$2,285,300), the largest purse in the tournament’s 48-year history, capping a three-week gold-medal run in Paris that also saw her inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Ko set her clubhouse target at seven under, and with Shin and Korda trailing, Wu needed a birdie putt to force overtime. But the American’s putt on the 18th hole went just short, handing Ko her third major title and first since 2016.

Overnight leader Shenhua was nicknamed the “Queen of the Final Round”, but the South Korean player was the first to collapse, three-putting for bogey on the par-4 third hole to throw away the lead, leaving Wu Meiling tied for first place.

Korda made pars on the first four holes, while Ko birdied the fourth hole to move within one stroke of the lead, meaning the top four were separated by just one shot.

However, Korda was tasked with reclaiming the lead and she birdied four of the next six holes to take the lead, while she also saved par after hitting a bunker on the 11th hole to leave Ko and Shenhua two shots behind.

But Lydia Ko also slowly climbed to the top of the list with three birdies until she took a bogey on the 15th hole. The four players were tied for the lead with a total score of six under par.

Ko then birdied the 18th hole to finish the final round with a 69, setting a clubhouse goal that put pressure on Wu and Korda.

Korda’s chances of winning a second major this year evaporated as she bogeyed the 17th hole and made par on the 18th to fall two shots behind Ko, with the American rubbing the side of her head in disappointment as she walked off the green.

Wu had to force a playoff after Shin Hye-min made double bogey on the 17th hole, but her putt missed the target and Ko was left in tears as the victory was confirmed.

Disappointingly, Wu also missed a par putt and could only tie for second at five under with Shen, Korda and China’s Yin Ruoning.

Ko’s previous best result at the British Open was a tie for third in 2015.

“Winning gold in Paris was almost too good to be true and going into the weekend I was wondering how I could possibly compete for the British Open,” Ko told Sky Sports.

“I’ve been experiencing the most Cinderella story of the past few weeks, and it’s almost too good to be true.

“Of all the majors, I have the least confidence going into this one because I don’t have a lot of experience playing on links courses.

“So when I held this trophy, I couldn’t believe it.”

– Additional reporting by RNZ