Jin Young Ko shot her best round of the week, a bogey-free 67, to become a three-time Cognizant Founders Cup winner with a par on the first playoff hole to defeat defending champion Minjee Lee.
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The 2019 and 2021 Cognizant Founders Cup champion, Ko headed into her last hole on Sunday one shot behind the leader, Lee. After her tee shot landed in the fairway and her approach shot on the green, Ko had confidence walking up the green on the 18th despite a roughly 25-foot putt for birdie.
“I thought I would make it because I had three birdies at 18 hole the last three days,” Ko said “So, yeah, I felt I can make it, and I made it.”
Ko’s birdie on 18 put her in a tie for first at 13-under after Lee bogeyed the 16th, which played as the most difficult hole on Sunday with only two birdies made there during the final round.
With Ko in the clubhouse, the Australian’s fate was in her own hands heading onto the final hole. After overshooting the green on her approach shot, the crowd sighed as Lee’s chip on the 18th narrowly missed the hole and she tapped in a par.
After both players found the fairway and then the green, a three-putt on the first playoff hole cost Lee the title as Ko tapped in a par to become the fifth player this season to win in a playoff.
JIN YOUNG KO!
She birdies the 18th to tie the lead!!! pic.twitter.com/hOnYNUqoCv
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 14, 2023
The Korean is the only player to win the event three times and has done so on three different golf courses.
“Yeah, that’s interesting because 2019 was Phoenix; 2021 was the other course. I played this course last year, but how I played — wasn’t good,” said Ko. “So I thought, yeah, this golf course really tough. Just I thought before this week I thought, oh, just make the cut and just finish top 10 or 20. But I made it. Surprise.”
South African Ashleigh Buhai shot a final 70 to come to a solo third place finish at 10-under, her best result of the season. LPGA Tour rookie Hae Ran Ryu bogeyed her last two holes for a 73 but finished fourth at 8-under.
American Angel Yin (74) earned her second top five finish in a row with a T5 result at 7-under alongside Thailand‘s Atthaya Thitikul (71) and India‘s Aditi Ashok (73).
