Stacy Lewis was tied with Lydia Ko for the 54-hole lead and led Ko by as much as two-shots after seven holes on Sunday at the inaugural Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic in San Francisco, but failed to convert the win.
Both players were tied after 12 holes, but Lewis made bogey at No. 13 while Ko rolled in a birdie to create a two-shot swing that gave her the lead for good. Two more birdies at Nos. 14 and 18 sealed the deal.
Lydia Ko, who just turned 17 years old on Thursday, earned her first win as a member of the LPGA Tour. She won the CN Canadian Women’s Open the past two years, but was still an amateur. Her first win as a professional came at the Swinging Skirts Ladies Masters last December, when it was sanctioned by the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Tour.
Ko will jump over Suzann Pettersen and Lewis to No. 2 in the world behind only Inbee Park. She moves to No. 4 in the Race to the CME Globe and has to be one of the favorites to earn the $1 million bonus at the end of the season.
Lewis’ runner-up finish and seventh top 10 of the year leaves her atop the Race to the CME Globe standings and No. 3 in the Rolex Rankings.
Pettersen is just returning to action after being forced to take a month off due to a sore back and will fall to No. 4 in the world.
Lewis had a chance to tie Ko at No. 17, but her birdie attempt just missed and she had to settle for par.
The third member of the final group Jenny Shin made birdie at No.17 to draw within one shot of Ko heading to the last hole.
With Lewis striking three perfect shots on the last hole and leaving a very makeable birdie putt on the par-5, Ko hit a nearly perfect chip shot of her own from a dicey lie to leave a birdie chance.
Shin also knocked her third shot into birdie range to tie for the lead, but saw the effort slide by on the high side.
Ko had the next putt for birdie on No. 18 and slammed the door on Lewis before she could attempt her birdie.
Inbee Park, Suzann Petteresen and Stacy Lewis were the ‘Big 3’ of women’s golf in 2013, but Lydia Ko has served notice that she can compete with the big girls too.
Lake Merced Golf Club hosted an LPGA event for first time and provided a beautiful setting for the tournament. It is nearby Harding Park and historic Olympic Golf Club.