Ko Jin-young earns £1.1m and player of year after winning LPGA finale
Ko fired a nine-under-par 63 to finish on 23 under as she held off Japan's Nasa Hataoka by one stroke. The duo had started the day, sharing the lead with world number one Nelly Korda and France's Celine Boutier.
On a day of low scoring, Korda's 69 saw her share fifth spot as Ko pipped her for the player of the year honour. Ireland's Leona Maguire, who started day two off the pace following a 66 on Saturday, had to settle for a share of 12th after a closing 70 as she could not join the birdie fest.
Maguire got off to a bad start by dropping a shot at the first and with her first birdie not coming until the sixth, she was already effectively out of contention for a maiden LPGA title amid Ko's stunning start to her round.
The defending champion took control of the tournament by going to the turn in 30 with six birdies on her front nine.
Further birdies on the 11th and 13th kept her in control, and while Hataoka birdied three of her four final holes to trim Ko's advantage to one, in truth, the Korean never looked like being caught as she completed her fifth LPGA victory of the season.
Ko's victory was even more impressive because of a wrist injury that has curtailed her practice in recent weeks." I didn't practise at all. I don't know what happened out there," she said."I played well this week. This week was terrific."
Boutier, like Maguire, a member of Europe's victorious Solheim Cup team in September, shot a closing 68 to share third place on 18 under par American Mina Harigae. England's Charley Hull shared the 15th spot after her closing 64 with her compatriot Georgia Hall losing ground on the final day as a 72 saw her sharing 24th spot on ten under.
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