Ko racks up second win of the year in Saudi Arabia

Caption: Lydia Ko is all smiles as she holds the winner’s trophy from the Saudi Ladies' International which was held in Saudi Arabia last month.

Lydia Ko posted her second win of the year when running away with the $US1 million Saudi Ladies’ International in Saudi Arabi.

The star New Zealand golfer was five shots ahead of her nearest rival when finishing with a score of 23 under par at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club last month.

On the third day of the tournament Ko posted a course equalling record of 63, which is nine under par.

Ko’s previous win for the year had been at Hawaii in April on the LPGA Tour. That had been her first win for three years. In between the two wins had been a bronze medal at the Olympics in Tokyo.

Ko’s win in Saudi Arabia was worth $US129,680 or about $NZ180,000.

Ko went into the final day with a four-shot lead and carried on when she left off with a birdie on the first hole. She then added four further birdies and an eagle for a bogey-free round of 65.

The 24-year-old said the course presented plenty of birdie opportunities and she had to keep taking them as others would be doing the same.

“When I was out there I was just trying to play the best golf I can,” Ko said.

“I knew a lot of the top names were playing well and this is a golf course where there’s a fair amount of birdies. So I just tried to have my share of them, have fun out there and enjoy the experience at Royal Greens.’'

Ko said it was a big advantage having a lead of four shot lead going into the last round.

“It helps going into the final round and you have a four-shot cushion, as we could possibly shoot the same score but I still have those shots from the last three days.

``I birdied the first hole (on the last day) then holed two really good putts for par on two and three and I think that kind of set my momentum and I just tried to not look back and keep going forward. I’m delighted to have won.”

Caption: Lydia Ko plays her approach shot to the 18th green on the final day of the Saudi Ladies’ International in Saudi Arabia last month.

This was the first Saudi Ladies’ International and became the first international women’s sports event to be held in Saudi Arabia and be broadcast on national television – at a time when the Kingdom had fewer than 20 female golfers.

A landmark moment, the tournament inspired 1200 women and girls to sign-up to learn golf over its four days.

Ko hoped the event would draw more Saudi women to the game.

“Hopefully, more and more women have the courage to take up golf and want to, in the future, come and play this event.’'

Second in the tournament was Atthaya Thitikul, 18, from Thailand.

That was enough for Thitikul to be crowned this year’s Ladies’ European Tour Race to Costa del Sol champion, whose final day 66 pushed her five-clear of Spain’s Carlota Ciganda and Alice Hewson of England.

Thitikul said: “It was a good fight today. I just did my best out there but Lydia Ko is just the best – brilliant. She was really good with her putting, her approach shots, everything she did this week! I will definitely learn from her to get better myself.

“It’s an honour and really an amazing feeling for me to win the Race to the Costa del Sol this year, on my rookie year as well. Words cannot describe it.”

On her shared third place finish – secured with a closing day four-under-par – Spain’s Ciganda said: “I played pretty solid. I hit a lot of fairways and lots of greens. I didn’t make as many putts as I would’ve liked to but some weeks they go in and some weeks they don’t. I’m happy with the week – Lydia and Atthaya played incredible.

“It’s been a great week. I love the course and think it’s a great set up for us. Everything’s been great – the hospitality, the hotel. I know it’s a little bit hot but it’s a great place and it’s been great for Saudi women and Saudi sports to have a women’s golf tournament like this.”