Lydia Ko earned the biggest winner’s check in the history of women’s golf after her wire-to-wire victory at the 2022 season-finale CME Group Tour Championship.
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She also clinched the Player of the Year award for the second time in her career and the Vare Trophy for the second consecutive season. She now only needs two more points of the necessary 27 for induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame.
“To be the Player of the Year and to win the Vare Trophy again and to win the CME Group Tour Championship, it’s a dream come true. To be able to do it in front of family and my team, you know, it’s a very special one,” said Ko. “As much as I’m excited that I have won, I’m also excited for some time off and get ready to become a bride soon.”
The 19-time LPGA champion, shot a 70 on Sunday to finish at 17-under overall. She led from day one, managing the gusty conditions that plagued the field throughout the week better than anyone until Leona Maguire made the most of Moving Day with a 9-under 63, the best score of the week, to tie for the lead.
It's a SWEEP for Lydia Ko ⭐️
– Winner of the CME Group Tour Championship
– Vare Trophy Winner
– @ROLEX Player of the Year
– $4,364,403 earned (2nd most in a season all-time)What. A. Season. pic.twitter.com/pCM6MrrN49
— LPGA (@LPGA) November 20, 2022
Ko’s bogey at the 1st on Sunday gave Maguire an early lead, but the New Zealander recovered with two birdies on the front while the Irishwoman kept it level. With Ko just one stroke ahead at the turn, both players made pars until they ran into trouble on the par-5 14th, each making bogey after hitting their second shots into the water and taking drops. Ko made two final birdies on 16 and 17 to edge out Maguire for her third title of the season.
“I think internally I was excited, but I tried to stay calm. Even down to the last hole, I just wanted to play my golf and make sure that it gets handled in my hands and not, like, somebody else’s,” said Ko.
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist closed out her 11th appearance in the Tour’s season finale with a 67 to finish third at 14-under, her best result on Tour since her win at the 2021 AIG Women’s Open.
“I’m not going to lie, this year has been a hard year on the greens. I feel like ball striking-wise it’s probably been the most consistent year I’ve had in my career. But, the last couple of weeks wasn’t really going a good direction,” said Nordqvist. “So my husband helped me a little bit earlier in the week and just focusing on speed. I think it slowed down the greens a little bit today because of the wind. I left myself a little bit short on a few of those, but I feel like I just put myself in good positions into the greens, so I had some good looks.”
England’s Georgia Hall closed with a 67 for a share of fourth place at 12-under alongside south Korea’s Jeongeun Lee6.
