New Zealand's teenage golfing sensation Lydia Ko wins Tour Championship in Florida

New Zealand's teenage golfing sensation Lydia Ko parred the fourth play-off hole to beat Carlota Ciganda and win the LPGA Tour Championship, completing a US$1.5 million (£960,000) haul that included a season points crown.

Ko tapped in for par on the final extra hole after her Spanish rival buried her approach under a bush, giving the Seoul-born 17-year-old her third title of her first full LPGA season.

"This has been a big year, a roller coaster ride," Ko said. "I've learned so much this year. Winning these play-offs I've learned a lot. I think it's going to be even better next year."

Ko, Paraguay's Julieta Granada and Ciganda each finished 72 holes on 10-under par to go into the shoot-out, staged entirely on the 18th hole at Tiburon Golf Club in Florida.

Ko had already clinched the LPGA season points bonus prize of $1m, edging American Stacy Lewis for the big pay-off by virtue of her top-three finish, but had another fight to add the $500,000 top prize from the season-ending event.

All three parred the first play-off hole but Granada lipped out a three-foot par putt on the second extra trip to the 18th, leaving Ko and Ciganda to fight for the crown.

On the third extra visit to the course's second-hardest hole of the week, Ciganda dropped her approach six feet from the hole. Ko came up inches short from 30 feet but Ciganda missed right of the cup and both parred to extend the drama.

On the fourth play-off hole with sunset approaching, Ciganda's approach trickled down a slope and under a lakeside bush in a hazard beyond the green. She took a drop and was well short with a chip. Ko then two-putted from 25 feet for the title.

Ko won the 2012 and 2013 Canadian Women's Open as an amateur and the LPGA waived an 18-year age minimum so she could join the tour this year.

Ko edged Lewis by a stroke to win her first LPGA event as a professional, the Swinging Skirts Classic, in April and added the Marathon Classic crown last June on her way to clinching LPGA Rookie of the Year honours and $1.58m in prize money entering the Tour Championship.

Starting the final round three strokes behind 54-hole leader Granada, Ko charged into the lead with birdies at the fourth, par-five sixth and par-three eighth holes while the South American stumbled with three bogeys on the front nine.

Ko sank a four-feet birdie putt at the 13th to reach 10-under par but was matched for the lead by Ciganda, after the Spaniard birdied the 13th and par-five 14th, and Granada, after she chipped in at 15 for her third birdie in a row, to set up the play-off.

Granada failed in her 183rd start since claiming her only LPGA title at the 2006 Tour Championship.

"It's tough," Granada said. "I had a pretty good chance. I hit some great shots on 18. That second putt I honestly thought I had it. But overall, I'm pretty happy with this week."

World No 2 Stacy Lewis, meanwhile, fired a 71 to finish in a share of ninth  and secure three season-ending awards, including LPGA Player of the Year, the tour money title and the Vare Trophy for low scoring average.

She became the first American to capture all three in the same year since Betsy King in 1993 and said: "The $1m would have been nice but those are what I came here for. It was really hard the last four days. I'm glad it's over."