Lydia Ko Secures AIG Women’s Open Victory at St Andrews

Lydia Ko successfully captured the AIG Women’s Open title, adding to her Olympic gold medal victory in Paris. The New Zealander began the final round tied for fourth, but her performance included three birdies over the first fourteen holes.

The championship came down to an exhilarating finale, with Ko, Nelly Korda, and Lilia Vu tied at the top of the leaderboard at six under par. Ko took the clubhouse lead with a brilliant birdie on the 18th hole, while defending champion Vu fought closely until the end.

Vu needed a birdie on the final hole to force a playoff, but ultimately ended with a bogey five, allowing Ko to claim the title. This marks Ko’s third major championship win, capping off an exceptional couple of weeks after her Olympic success.

During the trophy presentation, Ko expressed her disbelief at her recent accomplishments, stating, “It’s pretty surreal. Winning the gold medal in Paris a couple of weeks ago, it was almost too good to be true.”

Ko highlighted the challenging weather conditions throughout the tournament, stating that despite the strong winds, she enjoyed her competition on the Old Course. She applauded the efforts of the grounds team for maintaining playability despite the adverse weather.

In the final standings, Vu finished on five under par, tied for second with Jiyai Shin, Ruoning Yin, and Korda. Korda’s chances slipped away after hitting into the Road Hole bunker on the 17th, which she subsequently bogeyed.

England’s Charley Hull encountered difficulties during her final day, finishing tied for 20th at one over par. Lottie Woad of England won the Smyth Salver, awarded to the top amateur, after finishing with a one-under-par total.