January 28, 2014: New Zealand’s teenager Lydia Ko picked up a cheque for $38,400 for her seventh place finish at Bahamas Classic. This is her first top-10 finish in her first LPGA event of the year.
The 16-year-old shot a final round 68 to tie seventh equal, four shots behind the winner, 20-year-old American Jessica Korda.
Ko began solidly with six pars before a birdie at the par five on the seventh in Pure Silk-Bahamas.
Four more pars left Ko teetering outside the top-10, before birdies on the 12th, 14th, 15th and 18th propelled her up the leaderboard.
She now returns home to defend her New Zealand Open title at Clearwater, starting on Friday.
The next stop on the LPGA Tour is the Australian Open from February 13-16 in Victoria.
Meanwhile, Jessica Korda picked up her second tour title, holing a 1.8m birdie putt on the final hole to beat Stacy Lewis by a stroke.
The 20-year-old Korda closed with a seven-under 66 for a 19-under 273 total on Atlantis Resort’s Ocean Club course. Lewis parred the final four holes for a 66.
Her previous LPGA title came at the 2012 Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne – also a season-opening event.
“Maybe I pay attention more to detail, and I’m more relaxed in the first event of the season,” Korda reportedly told AP. “I don’t know, but whatever it is I need to figure it out and do it more often.”
She earned US$195,000 ($236,000) for her win and is projected to jump from 40th to 26th in the world rankings.
Paula Creamer, paired with Korda all four days, had a 69 to tie for third with Na Yeon Choi, Lizette Salas and Pornanong Phatlum at 16 under. Phatlum finished with a 67, Salas had a 71, and Choi shot 72.
- In this article
- Pros
- Women
- bahamas classic
- Jessica Korda
- lydia ko
