WORLD NUMBER ONE Lydia Ko clinched the second Major of her career on Sunday with a dramatic victory at the ANA Inspiration after a late collapse from Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn.
The 18-year-old New Zealander held her nerve to conjure up a superb birdie on the 18th hole at the Mission Hills Country Club in California, to complete back-to-back Major wins.
Ko’s three-under-par 69 left her at -12 for the tournament, one clear of England’s Charley Hull and South Korea’s Chun In-Gee. Ariya, who had led by two shots with three to play, finished with bogeys on the 16th, 17th and 18th to end on -10 under.
Ko is the youngest woman ever to win two Majors following her victory last September at the Evian Championship.
She is the youngest golfer of either sex to win two majors since Young Tom Morris, who was aged 18 years, four months and 27 days when he won the Open in 1869.
“I just wanted to enjoy playing on the tour,” a delighted Ko said afterwards.
“Just being in this position is a dream come true. For these things to be happening is unbelievable,” Ko said of her remarkable achievements.
The teenager marked her win by taking the now traditional leap into Poppie’s Pond, the water hazard surrounding the 18th green.
But it was an agonizing finale for Ariya, the 20-year-old from Bangkok.
After a bogey on 16, she dropped another shot on the 17th which gave Ko a share of the lead and an advantage which she rammed home on the par-five 18th.
Opting to lay up, she nailed a majestic third shot to within a few feet for a simple birdie that took her to -12, one shot clear.
With Ariya’s composure in tatters, she could only bogey the last and Ko had sealed victory, the 12th LPGA tournament win of her career.
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