Solheim Cup teammates Charley Hull and Suzann Pettersen, at the epicenter of the controversy during the biennial competition, finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
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Despite a bogey on the par-three seventh hole, Ko netted four birdies in the front nine, and in the back nine added two others and an eagle in the par-five hole 12.
Meanwhile, Ryan Fox has accomplished a big boost for his career.
Na, coming off playoff loss last week to Emiliano Grillo in the season-opening event in Napa, California, made a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-5 16th to tie for the lead, but bogeyed the par-3 17th after flubbing a chip, and missed a 15-foot birdie try on 18.
The teenager’s form comes as no surprise after displaying typically fine form in recent weeks, finishing outside the top four just once in her last seven LPGA Tour events.
Ko will jump from second to first in the world with a victory or second-place finish today, while she could also seize top spot depending on the progress of current world No1 Inbee Park at the LPGA’s KB Financial Star Championship South Korea. “I haven’t really thought about being world No. 1 again”, Ko said. Park skipped her title defense at Miramar to play in a Korea LPGA event, where she tied for second Sunday.
“I mis-hit it a little bit”, Ko said. To compound her misery, she sprayed her tee shot on the par-5 12th far to the right, but it was kept in play by a fortuitous bounce of the trees.
Ryu shot a 68, and Ji had a 70.
At 18 years, 6 months, 1 day, Ko is the youngest player to win 10 events on any major tour. “But I didn’t imagine it going in”.
Ko has three victories in her past five starts.
It was the only blemish on an exceptional round, Ko making the turn in three-under 33 then sealing the win when she holed a wedge shot from 40m for eagle at the par-five 12th, the shot of the day. She won in Canada and France – where she became the youngest major champion – in consecutive starts, tied for second two weeks ago in Malaysia and tied for fourth last week in South Korea.
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Elswehere, Denmark’s Emily Pedersen completed a wire-to-wire victory to claim her first professional title in the Hero Women’s Indian Open. The Blue Bay LPGA is next week in China, followed by the Japan Classic.
