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Lydia Ko wins the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic at Lake Merced

Lydia Ko of New Zealand makes an approach shot on the second hole during round one of the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic
Image: Lydia Ko of New Zealand makes an approach shot on the second hole during round one of the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic

World No 1 Lydia Ko celebrated her birthday with another win in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic at Lake Merced.

Ko, who earned her first victory as a professional at this event last year, birdied the second play-off hole to beat Morgan Pressel and take her seventh career LPGA Tour win.

The New Zealand sensation, who turned 18 on Friday, fired a two-under par 70 in the final round to finish 72 holes tied with Pressel at eight-under par 280.

Final Leaderboard

-8 Lydia Ko (NZL)
-8 Morgan Pressel (USA)
-7 Brooke Henderson (Can)
-6 Kwak Min-Seo (Kor)
-5 Feng Shanshan (Chn)
-4 Jang Ha-Na (Kor)
-4 Amy Yang (Kor)
-4 Stacy Lewis (USA)

Pressel had birdie putts to win both in regulation and at the first play-off hole, but instead remains in search of her third LPGA Tour title and a first since 2008.

Both players returned to the par-five 18th for the first play-off hole, where Ko missed a long birdie putt for the win and Pressel then came up short on her 10-footer.

At the 18th for the second play-off hole, Ko hit her third shot to five feet before Pressel left her about 10 feet away.
Pressel once again couldn't get the putt to drop and Ko rattled in her putt to seal the win.

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World No 1 Lydia Ko retained her Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic title after winning a play-off against Morgan Pressel.

Brooke Henderson, the 17-year-old Canadian who led after the second and third rounds, closed with a two-over par 74 to finish third on seven-under 281.

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South Korea's Kwak Min-Seo's final-round 74 was good enough for fourth place on six-under 282, and China's Feng Shanshan was alone in fifth after a 72 for 283.                  

"At the start of the day, I didn't know how it was going to go," Ko said. "It's been a great birthday week again.

"This week I hit the ball really well. It definitely makes his course a lot easier. Last year I wasn't hitting the ball good.

"This tournament always makes my heart clench. I got so nervous. It's a good thing they're going in the hole."

Pressel added: "I just couldn't convert the putts, it all comes down to putting. She birdied it twice and I didn't."

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