Things were not looking good for Lydia Ko late Sunday at the ANA Inspiration.
She stood in the 18th fairway at Mission Hills and trailed Ariya Jutanugarn by two shots. Ko pulled out a sand wedge and from 88 yards, stuck her approach to two feet. At the same time, Jutanubarn was making bogey at the 17th, her second straight that dropped her 11-under par.
Ko, the world’s No. 1, made her birdie, got to 12-under par and led for the first time all day.
On the tee, disaster struck the second year player from Thailand. Jutanugarn, who led by two shots with three holes to play, hit her drive in the water and basically ended her chances for a first victory, and a major at that.
Instead, Jutanugarn finished with a third straight bogey and it was Ko who took the winner’s leap into Poppie’s Pond.
Ko’s closing 69 was highlighted by some clutch putting that saved pars when she needed them. “This is amazing,” Ko said after taking the LPGA season’s first major. It was her 12th win and her second major title, all before the age of 19. “This has been a big week. I’m glad I made those clutch putts on the back nine.”
Those putts helped Ko hang around while Jutanugarn worked her way into the lead early when overnight leader Lexi Thompson stumbled from the very start. Thompson lost control of her tee shots early and two early bogeys took her out of contention. She went without a birdie all day. She hit the 18th in two and once again holed an eagle putt for the second day in a row. It got her to nine-under and solo fifth.
Charley Hull and In Gee Chun both came up a shot short and tied for second at 11-under while the disappointed Jutanugarn finished alone in fourth.
