Lydia Ko powers to historic first major title by six shots at Evian Championship

Lydia Ko was in a class of her own as she became the youngest player in history to win a major title with a sensational six-shot victory at the Evian Championship.

The teenage phenomenon trailed Lexi Thompson for the first half of the final round, but Ko pulled clear as the American faltered down the stretch - carding a flawless eight-under 63 for a winning score of 16 under par.

Thompson looked in control when she reeled off three consecutive birdies from the fifth to open up a three-shot advantage over the young New Zealander, while overnight leader Mi-Hyang Lee fell away with a double-bogey and two bogeys in an outward 38.

Ko birdied seven and nine to reduce the deficit to just one shot at the turn after Thompson's run ended with a bogey at the eighth, and Ko then birdied the 11th and 12th to snatch the outright lead.

The big turning point then came at the short 14th, when Thompson pulled her tee shot into thick rough and failed to reach the green with her second, taking three more to get down as Ko's solid par lifted her three strokes clear.

Undaunted by the pressure of leading the final women's major of the year, Ko extended her lead with a birdie at the 15th, and the 18-year-old got another putt to drop at 17 to give her an unassailable advantage down the last.

Fitting finish

And it was fitting that Ko should wrap up victory in style, rolling in her eighth birdie putt of the day from 15 feet to cap the lowest round of the day by three shots.

Ko, six months younger than the previous youngest winner of a major, Morgan Pressel, also broke Karen Stupples' record for the lowest final round to win a major championship.

She told Sky Sports: "It is pretty amazing. It was an awesome day. It has been such an unbelievable experience and everybody won't ask me when I will win my first major because it is done.

"It is probably the best round ever. To finish with two birdies and finish on the last, the 72nd, with a birdie - that doesn't happen often. It is definitely one of the top rounds of my whole life and I am sure it will be from my career."

Thompson's day was summed up when she left her 10-foot birdie putt short and tapped in for a frustrating 70 which earned her outright second on 10 under, while Shanshan Feng was two further adrift after three birdies over the last four holes salvaged a 70 for the Chinese powerhouse.

Mi-Hyang Lee had to settle for a share of fourth after returning an erratic 74 to finish on seven under alongside Ilhee Lee, who fired a 70 despite a costly double-bogey on the final hole.

Alison Lee surged to six under after four birdies on the back nine propelled her to a bogey-free 66, while world No 1 Inbee Park managed her best round of the tournament - a 68 lifting her to five under.

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Karine Icher was the best-placed member of Europe's Solheim Cup side as she closed with a 72 to finish on two under, while Suzann Pettersen lifted her spirits ahead of next week's contest against the USA in Germany as she returned a confident 67 to get to two over.

But it was another erratic day for Charley Hull, who's colourful card included four birdies, five bogeys, one double-bogey and a triple-bogey seven at the 10th, which all added up to a 77 which left her in a tie for 38th on three over.