Lydia Ko claims her 18th LPGA Tour victory at BMW Championship in Busan, South Korea. Video / Sky Sport
After going winless for three years on the LPGA Tour, Lydia Ko has now triumphed three times in last 18 months.
The Kiwi golfer capped what she described as the most consistent spell of her career by storming to victory at the BMW Championship in South Korea today, streaking clear of the field with a remarkable fourth round.
Ko fought back tears as she spoke about the significance of winning in the country of her birth, the first of her 18 LPGA triumphs to come in South Korea.
"It's great to be back in the winner's circle and it means a lot to win in Korea - the place that I'm born. It makes it very special.
"Coming into this week, I said I really wanted to win in Korea once before my career was done. To be able to do that with my relatives here, it means a lot."
Ko came into the final day in share of second after a six-under 66 in the third round lifted her within one shot of the leader, young Thai star Atthaya Thitikul. It was a flawless effort from Ko but, incredibly, even better was yet to come.
The 25-year-old today posted the lowest number in the field with a near-perfect final round of 65, finishing on 21 under to win by four shots ahead of American Andrea Lee.
Doused in champagne by the players she had just blown away, Ko managed a celebratory swig after tapping in on the 18th, a drink that was greatly deserved.
"It was a pretty packed leaderboard going into today," Ko said. "Especially with how Atthaya has been playing, I knew I needed to have my A-game.
"I set a goal of five under, and if someone plays better than me and I don't end up winning, that's all I can do."
That looked unlikely from the start of the final round. Ko made birdies on the second and fourth holes to move into a share of the lead and, with Thitikul dropping three shots on the front nine, she made the turn in the clear.
Ko steadily extended her advantage with birdies on 10 and 11 before closing out the tournament in style, completing a run of three straight birdies to essentially seal victory on the 17th.
The world No 5 remained right on track to claim her second consecutive Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average on the LPGA Tour, while she also boosted her lead in the season-long Race to CME Globe standings.
Lydia Ko is doused in champagne after winning the BMW Championship. Photo / Getty
Suddenly, the prolonged title drought Ko endured seems a distant memory. The Kiwi went 57 tournaments and 1084 days between trophies, ending that run in April 2021 by taking out the LOTTE Championship.
That victory was far from an aberration – with signs of her revival clear earlier that year - and Ko would eventually back it up at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio in January.
Another win has recently been feeling inevitable. Ko said after her third round that this was "the most consistent I've played in any of my seasons", and the statistics supported that assertion.
In 12 starts on the LPGA Tour since June, she has recorded 10 top-10 finishes, with a T16th and T46th the only blemishes on her sparkling record. Given that form, win No 19 may not be far away.
"This is one to cherish," Ko said. "I wanted to finish off the year strong - I only have two more events this year - and to be able to win here, I don't think I have any complaints for 2022."
