SINGAPORE — Jin Young Ko gained for the first time in a year at the HSBC Women’s World Championship and hopes this alerts a new begin from a year of battling accidents that rate her the No. 1 ranking

Ko. answered an early cost by Nelly Korda, held her nerve during a 58-minute storm delay late in the round and closed with three straight pars for a 3-under 69 and a two-shot victory Sunday

She. now has 14 career wins on the LPGA Tour, together with two majors, along with 11 titles on the Korea LPGA. She called this win her „most important“

„Because. I had a tough year last year and fought with injury, and not good game and mentally tough and everything,“ Ko mentioned. „And then I gained this week“

Ko. has been at No. 1 in the world rating longer than any energetic player, and she was on top of the world when she gained in Singapore a year ago. But then she begun to struggle with her wrist, and even taking time off for relaxation late in the year didn’t appear to support. She now is No. 5 in the world

Taking. down a acquainted foe in Korda only added to the moment

„It’s. usually laborious to play with Nelly, particularly on Sunday,“ Ko mentioned. „We had a lot of instances to play in 2021. She hits it farther than last year, I think, so I don’t look at her ball. It’s hard, however love to compete with Nelly“

The. 27-year-old South Korean begun with a two-shot lead and opened with a birdie to extend the lead. Korda charged back with three straight birdies and closed to within one shot, only to make her lone bogey on the sixth gap. Ko finally restored the lead to three shots

Korda. closed with a 69

„Didn’t. play really good however kind of didn’t really battle as a lot as I wished to,“ Korda mentioned. „I simply made a couple kind of silly error right here and there. It was good to finish with a birdie and be in competition again, be in the final group feeling the emotions, and hopefully I can build off of that going into the next few occasions now in the States“

Ko. wasn’t paying shut attention to the leaderboard and thought she had a one-shot lead when play was halted because of the climate. While in the clubhouse, she saw on TV that she had a three-shot lead with two to play

„OK,. let’s make par, play secure. But it was really laborious to make par on 17, 18,“ Ko mentioned. „It’s a great honor to defend this title again“

She. is the first back-to-back winner of the HSBC Women’s World Championship and joins Inbee Park as the only multiple-time winner of the tournament

Ko. finished at 17-under 271 and earned $270,000

Allisen. Corpuz (69), Danielle Kang (68) and Ayaka Furue (67) tied for third at 14-under 274

Lydia. Ko, who took over the No. 1 rating at the end of last year and already has gained in Saudi Arabia this year, closed with a 74 and finished 12 pictures behind

The. LPGA Tour is off for the next two weeks before resuming in Arizona

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