Ko writes her own ending anew, triumphs at St. Andrews

MANILA, Philippines – Lydia Ko has once again proven that she’s a master of her own destiny, etching her name into golf’s history books just weeks after achieving the rare feat of completing her Olympic medal collection.

Ko didn’t need a downpour to add to a magical summer as she clinched a major victory at the iconic St. Andrews.

For many, Nelly Korda’s stumble was the story, while others lamented missed opportunities by last year’s champion Lilia Vu and two-time titlist Jiyai Shin. Some might argue that China’s Ruoning Yin simply ran out of holes to make a crack at the AIG Women’s Open trophy.

But on a wild day of wet, windy and chilly golf at the home of the sport, it was Ko who stood out, staying hot and emerging on top in a gripping battle of wits and nerves that saw the lead change hands multiple times in one of the most thrilling final rounds of the 2024 LPGA Tour season.

“It’s been a crazy few weeks,” said Ko, who remained composed and solid while others succumbed to the brutal roughs and killer greens of St. Andrews’ Old Course. “Something that seemed too good to be true happened, and I honestly didn’t think it could get any better, but here I am as the AIG Women’s Open champion this week.”

Korda and the rest might have thought otherwise.

But for Ko’s supporters and those who believed in her, the Kiwi richly deserved her third major championship, ending an eight-year-long wait after capturing the Chevron Championship in 2016.

What makes her feat doubly memorable is that it came just two weeks after she bested Korda and company for the gold medal in the Paris Olympics, completing her medal sweep at the Quadrennial Games.

(She won the silver when golf returned to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and the bronze in the Tokyo Games, which Korda won in 2021.)

Three strokes behind Shin after 54 holes, Ko quietly navigated the tough conditions with a near-impeccable game, displaying patience as she posted regulation pars and executed three precise approach shots to set up birdie chances on Nos. 4, 10 and 14.

Though a bogey on the 15th briefly derailed her momentum, Ko held her nerve down the stretch, finishing strong with two gutsy pars. Then, she delivered two superb shots on the challenging par-4 18th to set up a six-foot putt.

Birdie.

With a subdued right-hand fist pump, she celebrated her finish, which propelled her to the top with a seven-under 281 total. At that moment, Korda, Shin and Vu still had to complete their respective rounds. After signing her scorecard, Ko headed straight to the practice green, anticipating a potential playoff.

It never came.

Instead, what materialized was a surprising meltdown by Korda, who, two strokes up with five holes to play, succumbed to the chilling winds as she tackled the par-5 14th. Her fairway wood second shot found the thick rough on the right side, and her 58-degree wedge shot overshot the green.

Playing it safe, she chipped short of the slope, only to watch the ball roll back off the green. Her next chip left her seven feet from the cup, but her putt missed the mark, and she reluctantly holed out with a double bogey.

“Listen, it’s golf,” said Korda. “I’m going to mess up, and unfortunately, I messed up twice this weekend in two very penalizing ways down the stretch. That’s what kind of cost me the tournament.”

The world No. 1 then compounded her woes with another bogey on the 17th, finishing with a 72 and tying for second at 283 with Yin (70), Vu (73) and Shin (74).

Despite holding a one-over score after 14 holes, third-round leader Shin still harbored hopes of a third Open crown. But like Korda, she stumbled down the stretch, bogeying Nos. 15 and 17.

That left Vu with a chance to force a playoff. The defending champion rebounded from consecutive bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11 with birdies on 12 and 14. She crushed her drive to just short of the 18th green and knocked her pitch shot to within 10 feet.

But the pressure got to her, as Vu uncharacteristically three-putted, finishing with a one-over card and handing Ko, an incoming LPGA Hall of Famer, a two-shot victory.

Given that Ko was still two strokes behind when she stepped on the 16th tee, it was a whirlwind finish for the 21-time LPGA Tour winner, who couldn’t have predicted the insane outcome that ultimately led to her hoisting the coveted trophy.

But this victory will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most significant in her storied career, echoing her triumph in Paris.

In France, one gold short of completing her Olympic medal collection and one win away from the LPGA Hall of Fame, the 27-year-old Ko pondered what it would be like to achieve both at the same time.

She did.

Inspired by Simone Biles’ documentary “Rising,” Ko scribbled a quote from the gymnastics great in her yardage book: “I get to write my own ending.”

At the AIG Women’s Open, she did just that, scripting her destiny once more — of course, with a little help from Korda and company.