Lydia Ko. Photo: Photosport
New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has won the season-opening LPGA tournament in Florida.
Twenty-six-year-old Ko shot a two-under 70 at the HGV Tournament of Champions to win by two shots and claim the 20th LPGA title of her career.
The event was exclusive to players who have won on the LPGA Tour in the past two seasons. Ko was in the field on the strength of three victories in 2022, but she did not win an official event stateside in 2023.
Heading into the 18th, she held a three shot lead and bogied the final hole though she had already done enough to secure the win.
"I think the finish that I had last year, not only winning Grant Thornton (a mixed-team exhibition) but I played really well in Korea and in Malaysia," said Ko.
"Maybe if I had found the keys that I found then a little earlier, maybe I could have had a better season.
"I think if you keep going down a spiral of thinking like 'What if,' it's endless. I worked hard in the two weeks leading up to this event. To win at home has been nice."
Ko pockets $368,000 for the victory, taking her career earnings to more than $28 million.
It was a tough 2023 for Ko who was winless on the tour which included shooting her worst-ever round on the LPGA Tour.
However she finished the year by winning the Grant Thornton Invitational mixed team tournament with Australian Jason Day.
The win means Ko is just a point (one win) from qualifying for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame.
She is currently ranked 12th in the world
Yesterday fellow New Zealander Steven Alker won on the PGA Champions Tour.