New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has officially finished 2020 winless on the LPGA Tour, after tying for fifth at the CME Group Championship in Florida.
Going into Monday’s (NZ time) final round, Ko needed something miraculous to end her 32-month winless streak, sitting five shots back off the pace in a four-way tie for ninth.
But, despite a blemish-free three-under 69, she was only able to get within three strokes of the lead, and in the end finished seven back, as namesake Jin Young Ko powered home over the back nine to claim victory.
The world No 1 went into the last round one shot behind leader, world No 2, South Korean compatriot and good friend Sei Young Kim, but birdied five of her last seven holes to finish on 18-under, beating Kim and Australian Hannah Green by five strokes.
American Mina Harigae was a shot back in fourth, with Lydia Ko and American Lexi Thompson ending at 11-under.
For the Kiwi Ko, she was left to rue an awful opening round two-over 74 and would ponder what may have been, after going on to shoot the best second round of anyone with a sublime seven-under 65, before her successive rounds of 69.
While it’s a second successive year with no title for the former world No 1, and with her Mediheal Championship crown in April 2018 her only victory in the last 53 months, the 23-year-old has shown promising signs under new coach Sean Foley, and logged consistent finishes in a Covid-19 disrupted 2020.
In her 13 events this year, Ko had three top-five finishes, five top 10s, nine top 20s, and missed just one cut.
