Masson came into the final round of the Manulife LPGA Classic at 11-under, tied for fifth and three shots off the lead and then promptly double-bogeyed the opening hole.
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Ko started the day four shots off the lead and fired a final round four under par 68 to climb two places.
After completing her round she moved to the practice green by the clubhouse to rehydrate as South Korea’s Mi Hyang Lee, Australia’s Minjee Lee and world No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand finished their rounds.
Masson didnt make a par until the seventh hole, following the double bogey with three straight birdies, a bogey on No. 5 and a birdied on the sixth.
Just one shot behind Masson for second were Karine Icher, of France, and Minjee Lee and Mi Hyang Lee, all at 15-under par. “I made six birdies and one eagle, but I didn’t know that”, said Lee.
Although Masson dropped another shot at the 13th she was already well in position to challenge, with Mi Hyang Lee having stumbled badly.
She is four strokes behind after a day’s best 64.
“I didn’t really believe (after the first hole) that I would have a chance to win”. I mean it really is.
“I started off well, I was 4-under through the first nine, but I guess I couldn’t quite get it done and she was one shot ahead of us”, Lee said.
Caddying for Masson was long-time Lori Kane caddy Danny Sharp of Hamilton who just took over her bag at the beginning of this season.
Her total score of 14-under-par 274 placed her at joint fifth along with world No 1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Suzann Petterson of Norway. I wish my shower was just a regular shower, but maybe I’m going to have that in a few minutes.
Caroline Masson of Germany won her maiden title with a one-stroke victory.
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“It’s really been so much fun to play in front of them”, Henderson said. And you’re never hoping for anything bad to happen, but obviously I was just not really watching. “I’m excited for the week off. Olympics is nearly like two weeks in one week”.
