Lydia Ko Wins Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio

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Lydia Ko Wins 2022 Gainbridge LPGA
Lydia Ko poses with the trophy after winning the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club on Jan 30, 2022 in Boca Raton, Fla. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice via Getty Images)

On Sunday in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, Lydia Ko shot a 3-under 69 to capture her 17th career LPGA Tour trophy, finishing one stroke clear of Danielle Kang (68).

Ko becomes the first player to reach 17 wins before the age of 25 since Nancy Lopez scored No. 17 in 1979.

“I tried to stay really patient out there and not get carried away on what everybody else was doing and just focus on my game, trying to make the lowest score I could,” said Ko, who recorded four birdies against one bogey.

“I think that helped me really dial it in and just kind of stay in the present, which I think is really important, especially when other players are playing well and I’m not making many birdies.”

Lydia Ko Wins 2022 Gainbridge LPGA
Lydia Ko on the 6th green during the final round of the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club on Jan 30, 2022 in Boca Raton, Fla. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice via Getty Images)

The victory slides Ko into a tie for 32nd on the LPGA Tour Career Wins List to join Dottie Pepper, Ayako Okamoto and Beverly Hanson.

Along with the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio title comes one point for the LPGA Hall of Fame. Ko now has 21 of the 27 points needed to gain entry into the prestigious sorority.

“My mom asked me earlier this week and so did my sister, ‘Hey, what if you’re about to retire but you’re one point away? Would you retire, or continue to play?’ To have my name alongside some of the legends, it would be a huge honor,” said Ko.

“It is one of my goals, but I still have a long way to go. And people may think, ‘Hey, you’re just one point away. That’s one normal event win and then you’re there.’ It’s not easy to do that. It’s not easy to win. Not easy to have a top 10.

“I’m playing alongside the best female golfers and some of the best athletes in the world. To kind of keep putting yourself in contention and in positions like that, I don’t think it’s easy. I just have to keep playing my golf, focus on my goals, and if I have the opportunity to be in the Hall of Fame, that would be really cool.”

Lydia Ko Wins 2022 Gainbridge LPGA
Lydia Ko tees off from the 4th tee during the final round of the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club on Jan 30, 2022 in Boca Raton, Fla. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice via Getty Images)

Kang finished solo second, a week after winning the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

“I played some really good golf out there. I hit some quality shots, today and yesterday,” Kang said. “I just couldn’t get some of the things going my way. I flag hunted really well and hit some good putts that didn’t go in. Yeah, I tried really hard out there.”

Yuka Saso (67) finished along in third, one ahead of Charley Hull (68) and Celine Boutier (69) who shared fourth-place on 11 under.

Lexi Thompson (68) finished in a tie for sixth on -7 alongside Brooke Henderson (68), while Nelly Korda shot 2-under 76 to conclude the week in a tie for 20th at -2.

With her finish, Korda is now expected to lose the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Rankings to Jin Young Ko, who is projected to assume the spot for the fourth time of her career despite not competing in Boca Raton.

Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio

Top-10 Finishers

Pos-Player-To Par (Final Rd)
1. Lydia Ko -14 (-3)
2. Danielle Kang -13 (-4)
3. Yuka Saso -12 (-5)
4. Charley Hull -11 (-4)
4. Celine Boutier -11 (-3)
6. Lexi Thompson -7 (-4)
6. Brooke Henderson -7 (-4)
8. Maude-Aimee Leblanc -6 (-3)
8. Stacy Lewis -6 (-2)
8. Hye-Jin Choi -6 (-2)

Content produced using press release and tournament data from LPGA Tour Communications.

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