Tokyo, 22 November, /AJMEDIA/
South Korea’s Ko Jin Young fired a final-round 63 to shoot 23-under and win the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship on Sunday, with Japan’s Nasa Hataoka finishing one shot behind in second.
Ko made nine birdies and no bogeys at Tiburon Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort and leaves Naples with a $1.5 million paycheck, the largest in women’s golf, and the title of LPGA Rolex Player of the Year.
Hataoka, who started the round in a four-way share of the lead with Ko, American Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in the world, and France’s Celine Boutier, did push Ko to the wire. But her birdie-birdie finish was not enough to deny Ko the title.
“I did lose but I’m happy with my game. My only regret is my bogey in the sixth,” said the 22-year-old Hataoka, who was grouped together with Ko and Korda in the final round.
“It was such a precious experience to tee up together with the two leading players on the tour on the final day,” she said.
