Refer Report

On the 26th, at the practice green of St. Andrews Old Course (par 72, 6784 yards) in Fife, Scotland, UK. Lydia Ko (27), a New Zealand compatriot, was chatting warmly with her husband, Jeong Jun. Lydia Ko finished the final round of the AIG Women’s Open (total prize money of $9.5 million), the last major golf tournament of the season, with a 1-stroke lead at the clubhouse, but if Lilia Boo (27, USA) made a birdie on the 18th hole (par 4), it would go into an extension. However, Boo made a bogey on the hole, confirming Lydia Ko’s victory. Lydia Ko hugged her husband with a tearful face and enjoyed a fairytale-like moment.

Lydia Ko has won a major title after winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Lydia Ko, who had four birdies and one bogey in the final round of the tournament, won by two strokes after finishing with a total score of 7-under 281. This is her third major title and 21st win on the tour, just three weeks after securing her spot in the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame with the Paris Olympics gold medal. “The last few weeks have been unbelievably crazy,” Ko said after her win. “It’s like a fairy tale.”

Sweeping gold medals and major titles in one month

Lydia Ko started the day tied for 4th place, 3 strokes behind the leader Shin Ji-ae (36). Shin Ji-ae lost strokes early in the game, and it became a 4-way battle with Nelly Korda (26, USA) and Boo. Lydia Ko was the first to finish the game with 7 under par, making a birdie by placing her second shot within one step of the pin on the 18th hole (par 4). Shin Ji-ae then fell behind the leader with a bogey on the 15th hole (par 4), and Korda with a bogey on the 17th hole (par 4). Boo, who was aiming for the win until the end, had a birdie chance by placing her second shot 4m from the pin on the 18th hole. However, perhaps due to her nerves, her putt was somewhat short, and even her par putt went around the hole, ending the game with a bogey.

Lydia Ko, who won a major title at the Old Course at St. Andrews, the “Mecca of golf,” just three weeks after winning the Olympic gold medal, was moved to say, “It feels like a fairy tale to win at a historic place with my family.” Lydia Ko said, “I first played here in 2013 when I was 16.” That was when she gained worldwide fame as a “golf genius girl.” She smiled, saying, “I hope I’m wiser now than I was then.”

Jeong Jun “I respect my wife’s fierce efforts”

She also expressed gratitude to her husband, Jeong, who could not be with her at the Olympic gold medal ceremony, for his words that helped ease the burden of winning a major. Jeong was with Lydia Ko in Scotland during this tournament.

The Hall of Fame is a goal that Lydia Ko has mentioned as the final destination of her golf career. There were predictions that she would retire soon after completing her qualification for the Hall of Fame with the gold medal at the Paris Olympics on the 10th. Nevertheless, Lydia Ko showed her intention to continue her golf career for the time being by winning the last major tournament of the season. She said, “Before the Olympics, someone told me, ‘Entering the Hall of Fame is not the final destination, but rather a gas station on the way to the final destination.’ After hearing that, I thought it would be difficult to quit golf right after being inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

Shin Ji-ae, who had been in sole first place until the third round, lost two strokes on this day and finished the tournament tied for second place with Boo, Korda, and Yin Luoning (China) with a final total of 5-under 283 strokes. She fell to fifth place at one point after a bogey on the 17th hole (par 4), but recovered her score with a birdie on the 18th hole.

Reporter Jo Soo-young delinews@hankyung.com

Source: Korean