(Reuters) – South Korean world number one Ko Jin-young used a string of late birdies to pull away from the chasing pack and claim a clinical five-shot victory at the LPGA’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, on Sunday.
Ko, who began the day one shot back of defending champion and compatriot Kim Sei-young, carded a closing six-under-par 66 that brought her to 18 under on the week at Tiburon Golf Club for her first win of the pandemic-stained season.
England’s Hannah Green (67) and Kim (72) finished in a share of second place, one shot clear of American Mina Harigae (68).
Ko birdied two of her first six holes and shook off a bogey at the ninth before making a move at the par-three 12th where she rattled off the first of three consecutive birdies to pad her lead and then added two more over her final three holes.
Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Christian Radnedge