New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has continued her hot streak on the LPGA Tour, storming to victory in Cincinnati.
Ko scorched the TPC River's Bend on Sunday (Monday NZ Time) with a bogey-free nine-under 63 in the final round to pull away for a five-stroke victory at the Queen City Championship.
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The 27-year-old made an eagle and seven birdies on Sunday during a near-perfect round, in which she hit 12-of-14 fairways, 13-of-18 greens in regulation and needed just 24 putts.
It was the 30th victory of Ko's professional career, and 22nd on the LPGA Tour. She has finished in the top-10 in her last four LPGA tournaments, while also winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics during that stretch.
Ko won the season-opening Tournament of Champions in January and then captured the Women’s Open in her last start last month, making this the first time she has won in back-to-back LPGA appearances since 2016.
“It's been pretty surreal,” Ko said on the 18th green. “I had the most unbelievable three weeks in Europe, and after having another three weeks off, you're not entirely sure what it's going to be like. I started off this event really strong, playing well the first couple of days.
“I hung in there yesterday, and I said I know that Jeeno and a lot of the other girls aren't going to play bad golf, so I just got to try and play even better golf. To have a round like this to cap off a win is pretty special.”
Ko, who was outside the top-100 in the LPGA's Race to the Globe standings in mid-July, will rise to No 2 this week, behind Nelly Korda.
At the start of the final round, it looked like it would be a two-horse race between Ko and Jeeno Thitikul, which is what ultimately played out in Maineville, Ohio.
Thitikul led Ko by two at 16-under to begin the day, but Ko quickly got within one after making birdie on the par-four first. The duo parred their next four holes before both picked up birdies on the par-five sixth, leaving Ko one back.
A Thitikul eagle on the eighth got the Thailand native to 19-under, giving her a two-shot advantage over Ko, who birdied the par-five to get to 17-under. But Thitikul bogeyed the par-four ninth, just one ahead of Ko with nine holes to play.
Ko tied the lead after burying a 15-footer for birdie on the par-four 10th hole to move to 18-under, and surged two shots ahead when she eagled the par-five 11th. But Thitikul drained a lengthy birdie putt on the par-three 12th to move back to 19-under and sit one behind Ko.
Unfazed by Thitikul's push, Ko knocked it close with a hybrid on the 13th and holed her birdie putt, moving three ahead of Thitikul after the three-time LPGA Tour winner made bogey. Thitikul birdied the 14th but Ko birdied the 15th to move to 22-under, and ultimately held a four-shot lead with three holes to play after Thitikul made another bogey on the par-four.
Thitikul bogeyed again on the 17th, gifting Ko a five-shot lead heading to the 18th tee box, with the final hole just being a formality for the reigning Olympic gold medalist to collect her 22nd career LPGA Tour title.
“I don't think it's ever easy. You could win by 10 strokes and still never feel like it was an easy round,” said Ko.
“My ball striking has been a part of my game that I feel like has improved a lot and something that I'm more and more comfortable with, especially coming down the stretch when there are big things on the line.
“It's been improving a lot, and I feel like I progressed a lot. Whether it's actually with my technique, also the mental side of things as well. That's the aspect I'm most proud of. I feel like I'm able to handle these situations a lot better than maybe a couple of months ago.”
Meanwhile, on the Epson Tour, Auckland Fiona Xu remains on track to earn an LPGA Tour playing card for 2025.
Xu carded a two-under 70, which featured five birdies and three bogeys, in the final round of the El Dorado Shootout in Arkansas on Sunday (Monday NZT) to finish in a tie for 25th at two-over.
The 19-year-old remains ranked sixth in the Race for the Card standings ahead of next month's Epson Tour Championship, with the top-15 golfers at season's end earning promotion to the LPGA Tour.
Fellow Kiwi Amelia Garvey closed with an eventful two-over 74 in the final round to finish in a share of 23rd at one-over. She made a bogey, double-bogey and triple-bogey on the front-nine, before rolling in five birdies coming home.