It was a long week and an even longer year, but Ko Jin-young is a champion once again.
Almost a year to the day since her record-shattering victory at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, the South Korean returned to Singapore to defend her crown and seal her 14th LPGA Tour victory.
After a week delayed at various points by heavy rain, Ko carded 17-under to finish two shots ahead of American Nelly Korda and become the first player in the tournament’s 15-year history to secure back-to-back wins.
It marked a cathartic return to the winner’s circle for Ko, who has struggled with a persistent wrist injury since the second half of 2022. Tears flowed almost as soon as she tapped home her closing putt for par, as the 27-year-old shared an emotional hug with caddie David Brooker.
“It’s a great honor to defend this title again. This week was too long for me but too great, so I’m so happy,” Ko told reporters.
When Ko left Singapore a year ago, she did so at the peak of her powers. The then-world No. 1 had just sealed her sixth tournament victory in her last ten starts, creating history in the process. A final round 66 marked Ko’s 15th consecutive round in the 60s, breaking Annika Sörenstam’s 16-year-old record of 14.
She returned to Sentosa Golf Club last week under wildly contrasting circumstances. In August 2022, Ko missed cuts at back-to-back events for the first time in her career, subsequently taking a seven-week break from the sport to treat a left wrist injury.
A comeback at the BMW Ladies Championship the following month ended prematurely with a withdrawal, followed up by another missed cut at the Pelican Women’s Championship. When she arrived at the CME Group Tour Championship in November, she did so as the world No. 4.
There, she told reporters that every swing hurt. Four months on, she is a champion again, toasting the “most important” win of her career.
“Because I had a tough year last year, and I fought with injury and not good game and mentally tough and everything, and then I won this week,” Ko said.
“It’s going to be more important to me and it’s going to be big momentum for me in my life.”
Raining pars
After opening with an even par 72, back-to-back 65s roared Ko into a two-shot lead over Korda heading into the final round.
A run of three straight birdies saw Korda, chasing her ninth LPGA title, cut the gap to one by the sixth hole, but a subsequent bogey – and another at the 13th – saw Ko take a healthy three-stroke cushion into the closing three holes.
An anxious wait ensued for Ko after heavy rain – having postponed action for over two hours Saturday – delayed proceedings for close to an hour, but the South Korean held her nerve to return and sink three consecutive pars to ease home with 71 and clinch the $270,000 winner’s prize.
“I [knew] Nelly [was] behind me. I thought it was just one or two shots, so it was close,” Ko said.
“But after the delay, I rested in dining, and I saw the TV and the scoreboard, and [I had] a three-shot lead. But I had two more holes left so, ‘Okay, let’s make par, play safe.’ But it was really hard to make par on 17, 18.”
Korda’s closing birdie saw her card 69, her fourth successive round in the 60s, but the world No. 2 was left to rue “silly mistakes” that undermined an ultimately strong showing in Singapore.
“Obviously, a little disappointed with today,” Korda told reporters.
“Didn’t play really well but kind of didn’t really battle as much as I wanted to. I just made a couple kind of silly mistakes here and there. It was nice to finish with a birdie and be in contention again, be in the final group feeling the emotions.”
