New Zealand’s Lydia Ko celebrated a “Cinderella” story at the historic Old Course in St. Andrews on Sunday, securing her third major title by winning the Women’s Open Championship just two weeks after her Olympic gold medal triumph in Paris.
Ko, 27, ended an eight-year wait for a major victory with a stunning performance, finishing with a birdie on the 18th hole to complete a three-under-par 69 round. Her overall score of seven-under-par placed her atop the leaderboard in challenging, windswept conditions.
“It is surreal,” Ko told Sky Sports. “Winning the gold medal in Paris a few weeks ago was almost too good to be true. Heading into the weekend I thought, ‘How is it possible for me to win the Open?’ This is almost too good to be true. Out of all the major championships, this was the one I had the least amount of confidence in.”
The victory marks Ko’s first major title since the 2016 Chevron Championship, then known as the ANA Inspiration. As a 17-year-old, Ko became the youngest player ever to be ranked world number one in professional golf, and her latest triumph solidifies her status among the sport’s elite.
“It is the most Cinderella-like story these past two weeks. To be holding this trophy now is some achievement,” Ko reflected. “I thought to myself, because of the last few weeks, it is not going to happen. So don’t overreact and play the shot in front of you. My two goals were to par the 11th and birdie the 18th. I achieved both. This is such a special place.”
Ko expressed gratitude for her accomplishments, including her Olympic success. “All my achievements are special, even the silver and bronze at the Olympics. I always said I wanted to win another major championship. Here I am now as a three-time major champion.”
Reference(s):
Golf: Ko wins Women's Open, Bradley triumphs at BMW Championship
cgtn.com
