Ko gets wire-to-wire win at Founders and ties Annika record

Jin Youthful Ko completed off a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the Cognizant Founders Cup with her 14th consecutive spherical in the 60s that matched a 16-yr record held by Annika Sorenstam.

Even in a steady rain at Mountain Ridge, the 26-year-aged South Korean star designed it search easy. She closed with a 5-less than 66 for a four-shot victory more than Caroline Masson of Germany.

Ko begun the closing spherical with a four-shot guide and no one received closer than a few all working day. The tournament all but made the decision, it was then a subject of how she completed. Ko ran off four birdies in a 5-hole stretch in the middle of the back again 9 and completed at 18-less than 266.

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It was her 14th consecutive spherical in the 60s courting to a 69 in the ultimate round of the Evian Championship. That ties the mark Sorenstam set in the middle of her 10-win season in 2005.

Sorenstam received 3 of four tournaments in the course of that stretch of 14 straight rounds in the 60s, which includes a key, and was runner-up in an additional. Ko won twice and was runner-up and tied for sixth in the some others through her streak.

Ko joined Nelly Korda as the only 3-time winners on the LPGA Tour this period, and she grew to become the fifth South Korean with at least 10 victories, even now nicely short of the document 25 held by pioneer Se Ri Pak.

Upcoming up for Ko, who has performed the final 4 months, is a journey residence and limited crack. She programs to participate in the BMW Girls Championship the next 7 days in South Korea — the only Asia function in the drop since of the pandemic.

“I nonetheless have a chance (to) conquer Annika, and I will consider to do my best,” she said following acquiring a champagne shower.

Ko properly defended her title at the Founders Cup, nevertheless it was as various as could be. The tournament was held in Phoenix in 2019, was canceled very last yr in the course of the pandemic, and then picked up a new title sponsor and moved to the Donald Ross style and design in New Jersey.

Those back again-to-back victories arrived two years, 6 months and 16 days apart on opposite finishes of the country. Cognizant also doubled the prize money, making it the premier purse between frequent LPGA Tour gatherings. Ko attained $450,000.

Far more important, she pulled in just 20 points of Korda in the Race to the CME World with the stop of the season quick approaching.

Korda replaced Ko’s very long run at No. 1 in the earth this summer season when she gained her very first major at the Women’s PGA Championship. The 23-year-old American also won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Korda shut with a 73 at Mountain Ridge and tied for 19th. She has three wins in her final six functions, and those are her only best 10s.

Korda is not taking part in in South Korea, leaving Ko an great likelihood to shift earlier her on the year details checklist. The LPGA then concludes with two Florida functions, capped off by the CME Group Tour Championship.

Ko received the time finale a calendar year in the past after paying a great deal of the time using out the pandemic in South Korea. That provides her 4 victories in the previous calendar 12 months.

She was particularly inspired by past 7 days at the ShopRite LPGA Vintage, when Ko experienced management of the event right until lacking a collection of 10-foot putts on the again nine and finishing a person shot at the rear of Celine Boutier.

“I was definitely sad past week. Sunday wasn’t excellent,” she said. “I tried to do my ideal for this week and I did.”

Masson matched two birdies with Ko on the front nine and then created 5 birdies on the back again 9 for a 64, but by then it was as well late.

Elizabeth Szokol shut with a 69 and completed on your own in 3rd, seven pictures at the rear of. Jeongeun Lee6 (67) and U.S. Women’s Open up champion Yuka Saso (70) tied for fourth.