LPGA legend Lydia Ko secured her 23rd career victory at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore at Sentosa Golf Club. She finished at 13-under and won by four strokes over Ayaka Furue and Jeeno Thitikul.
Ko shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday to win this event after 11 previous attempts. She and this event could never come together like Riviera and Tiger Woods, but that is no longer true.
Ko began the day with a one-shot lead over Charley Hull. After five consecutive pars to start her fourth round, things began to come together.
She made three birdies on holes 6-8, which built her a four shot lead.
I started consistently,” Ko said after her win. “I hit a lot of greens, and I think that was going to be the big key. I knew that Jeeno and Charley hit it much further than me.”
“The distance wasn’t going to be to my advantage, but as long as I played steady golf and give myself good looks for birdies, I felt like some of them were going to drop. Making my first birdie on 6 and having three in a row was definitely good momentum going into the back nine.”
The moment Lydia Ko became a champion in Singapore 🏆🍾 pic.twitter.com/wU1hIgItbo
— LPGA (@LPGA) March 2, 2025
Ko dropped her first shot at the 12th, dropping the lead to three. Her first birdie came on 13.
She made a 40-footer for birdie on the par-3 15th to give her enough momentum to close out the tournament. She practiced that type of putt multiple times ahead of the tournament, and it ended up helping her sink it in competition.
“I knew it was going to be right-to-left. I hit it, and I knew that it was going to be at a decent speed,” Ko explained. “As I was walking, it looked like it was tracking but I didn’t know if it was going to keep breaking or stay straight. It ended up being perfect.”
Ko went on a tear, winning gold at the Olympics and taking home titles at The Open and the Kroger Queen City Championship. Overall, she won four times in 2024 and secured her spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame.
This victory gives Ko three more than any other player since the start of 2012, per golf stat guru Justin Ray. Ko also has eight LPGA wins by four or more shots, more than any other player since 2013.
“I dreamt last night that I won, but then I woke up and was like, ‘Dang, it’s not real yet,'” Ko said.
Despite falling short at this event in previous years, this year was different for her.
“To win here in Singapore and get all the love, not only this year but for the years that I’ve come, it means a lot,” she said. “It’s exciting to add Asia’s Major to my major collection.”
She would ultimately finish the back nine at even par, but had to work for it.