Jin-Young Ko misses eight-foot birdie putt for victory at 18th hole before losing to Hae-Ran Ryu in play-off at FM Championship; Ryu claims second victory on LPGA Tour - watch Solheim Cup live on Sky Sports between September 13-15 as Team Europe look to defend title
Monday 2 September 2024 07:42, UK
Hae-Ran Ryu recovered from a dreadful third round to win the LPGA Tour's FM Championship after beating fellow South Korean Jin-Young Ko in a play-off.
Ryu surrendered a six-stroke lead on Saturday after shooting a six-over 78 and began the final round at TPC Boston four shots adrift of compatriot Ko.
However, the 23-year-old carded an eight-under 64 on Sunday to match Ko on 15 under par for the tournament and then triumphed at the first extra hole.
A par was good enough for Ryu to claim her second LPGA Tour title, after the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in October of last year, as Ko made bogey after firing her approach over the green.
Two-time major winner and former world No 1 Ko could have won on the 18th hole of normal play but missed an eight-foot birdie attempt as she signed for a four-under 68.
Ryu said afterwards: "I was so nervous at the play-off, but maybe Jin Young Ko is the same as me. I can't believe it here now.
"My caddie and my other teammates said to me [on Saturday], 'just for today it's bad and tomorrow it all comes through. Just trust yourself'.
"I'm really happy because the first win is so hard but the second is hard again."
Ko, who missed out on a 15th LPGA Tour victory and first since the Cognizant Founders Cup in May 2023, said afterwards: "I played really, really good this week. Unfortunately, the last shot wasn't good and I lost. But overall, I played really solid."
Ryu birdied her first four holes on Sunday and six of the first eight before making three further gains on her back nine, at 10, 12 and 15, with a sole bogey coming at the par-three 16th.
Ko was also four under through four on the day after two eagles and two pars but shot even par the rest of the way, with bogeys at five and 10 and birdies at seven and 14.
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China's Ruixin Liu finished third on 14 under par after closing with an eight-under 64, reeling off seven birdies in a row at the start of her round, with USA's Allisen Corpuz and Thailand's Atthaya Thitikul joint fourth on 13 under after shooting five-under 67s.
The LPGA Tour takes a week off ahead of the Solheim Cup from September 13-15, live on Sky Sports, where Team Europe chase more success at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club after retaining the title with a dramatic draw in Spain in 2023.
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