Lydia Ko claims nine-shot win at the LPGA Taiwan Championship
Tuesday 27 October 2015 13:28, UK
Lydia Ko will replace Inbee Park at the top of the world rankings after the 18-year-old stormed to a record-breaking nine-shot victory at the LPGA Taiwan Championship.
Taking a four-shot lead in to the final round at Miramar Golf Country Club, Ko continued to extend her advantage throughout the day as a seven-under 65 saw her finish nine clear of South Korean duo So Yeon Ru and Eun-hee Ji.
Ko needed to win or finish second in Taiwan to move ahead of Park, who did not play in the tournament, and she could not have asked for a better start in the final round as she sunk four birdies in her first six holes.
Her only bogey of the day came at the seventh, but she holed her 30-yard pitch-in for eagle on the par-five 12th and posted two further gains over the closing stretch to become the youngest player in history to reach 10 LPGA Tour victories.
"I think winning and playing well at an event is the top priority," Ko said. "And then if you get the extra bonus with it, it's even better.... The winning part is probably the most memorable. I haven't really thought about being world No 1 again.
"I think I played really consistently well the last couple weeks, so I think it's something we can all celebrate and I want to share this with my whole team."
Speaking about Ko, Ryu said: "She's still a teenager, so it's really hard to believe how she acts and how she plays.
"I feel really happy to be playing with someone really special on the tour. She's not only a good player, but she's a really good person."
Charley Hull closed an impressive week with back-to-back birdies to end in outright fourth, with Solheim Cup team-mate Suzann Pettersen a further stroke back.
