Wynne Gray: Ko closing in on swag of honours

Lydia Ko chips from the bunker at the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship. Photo / Getty

In her words Lydia Ko didn't hole a putt in the third round. Not many golfers, even the ones as good as the world No 1 are totally satisfied after navigating their way through 18 holes.

For Ko and the other elite performers on the LPGA tour that's all history. This is it, the last round of the 33rd tournament of the season today in Naples, Florida as they jostle for the top rankings and money list prizes.

Each year seems to be extraordinary for the 18 year-old who became the youngest major winner in September when she closed with a final round 63 to collect the Evian Championship. A repeat score today would clinch another bag load of honours.

Ko's been fighting a cool putter although she hit 17 greens and slotted three birdies on her inward nine to sign for a blemish-free third round 69. She began this last round two shots behind joint leaders Cristie Kerr who's had back issues and Ha Na Jang who's struggled with nosebleeds in the humidity.

It's been a torrid programme and Ko took the last few tournaments off to regenerate after struggling with her energy levels. Her advisers noted each of her five wins this season came after a fortnight break.

"It allows her to decompress, get away from just the daily, if you will, stresses of competing week in and week out and charge and refocus and get into those stretch of tournaments fresh and lots of energy and I think that's the key," coach Sean Hogan said.

She'll need all her remarkable skills to deal with the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship and fend off Inbee Park who is two shots back and challenging Ko for most of the headline season honours.

This time last year Ko was three shots adrift going into the final round before she won a four hole playoff to take out both the final tournament and top money-earner titles.

"I mean, it would be awesome. When you defend something or do something back to back, it's always cool to do that," Ko said of her repeat chances. "There's still a lot of golf to be played so I've just got to focus on my game. I think that's all I can do from here."

It's been a formula which has taken the teenager to the top of the LPGA pile since turning pro two years ago and taking out 14 tour titles. This year she has won five times and had 11 top 10 finishes and earned

Her exploits have surprised her new coaches in Florida who nominate Ko's first major as the springboard for her strong second half of the season.

"The final round at Evian really gave her the belief she could go away from the field in that final round and felt solid about the game, the course suited her eye and played some great golf," Hogan said.