Little wonder Lydia Ko says she’s on cloud nine capturing two of the most prestigious titles in women’s pro golf

Fifteen days ago she captured the 2024 Olympic Games gold medal on the outskirts of Versailles and now the champion New Zealand golfer has brought the Land of the Long White Cloud to a standstill on an early Monday morning (NZ time) in birdieing the 72nd hold on the famed Old Course at St. Andrews to capture the AIG Women’s Open,

The efffort is the 27-year-old’s third major championship crown but a first AIG Women’s title, and one of the game’s five major championships.’

“A CRAZY FEW WEEKS” declares new @AIGWomensOpen Lydia Ko @HanaBank_KR

The champion @golfnewzealand_ captures a third major, her 28th pro career , a 20th @LPGA win and her second in just two weeks

Click on: https://t.co/HPD9weDsiH

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— Golf & Science News (@TOURMISS) August 25, 2024

“It’s been a crazy past few weeks. You know, something that was too good to be true happened, and I honestly didn’t think it could be any better and here I am as the AIG Women’s Open Champion this week”, said Ko.

“Obviously that being here at the Old Course at St Andrews, it makes it so much more special.

“I just loved being out there this week. I had a lot of family members here with me. I played here when I was 16 in 2013, I think I was 16. I was 16. I don’t think I got to really enjoy and realise what an amazing place this is, and now that I’m a little older and hopefully a little wiser, I just got to realise what an historic and special place this golf course is, and it’s honestly been such a fairy tale.

“Yeah, I’m on Cloud Nine, really”.

Ko went into the final round tied for fourth, three shots from the leaders but then tackled the windy and sometimes wet conditions in style, signing for a closing round of a three under par 69 which got her into a share of the lead late in her round and a birdie on the 18th handed her a then one-shot clubhouse lead.

Ko then had to wait for her rivals of current World No. 1 Nelly Korda, defending champion Lilia Vu and two-time champion Jiyai Shin to end their rounds.

Ko waited by the final green undertaking stretches while also battling the colder conditions wearing ear muffs, when Vu lined up a 20-foot putt for birdie that needed to drop of force a play-off but it came-up short, and with Vu ultimately making bogey to shoot 73 and drop to 5- under overall alongside Korda (72), Shin (74) and Ruoning Yin (70) in a four-way tie for second place.

Ko covered her face with her hands and wept in the embrace of her caddie after what she described as a “Cinderella-like story” over the past two weeks.

In the end the 27-year-old finished two shots ahead of Lilia Vu and Nelly Korda of the United States, Jiyai Shin of South Korea and Ruoning Yin of China.

The win is worth $US 1.425m for Ko’s 28th pro career triumph and a 20th counting LPGA victory title.

And how was Ko, who collected a first prize cheque of $US 1.45m, planning to celebrate?

“My sister said she was talking to my husband, and I don’t think any of us expected for me to win; that she was, “Oh, let’s go to the Thai restaurant and just eat after the round.”

“I don’t know if it’s open then, so I don’t know if that’s still on the menu. But I’ve been fortunate enough to stay at the Rusacks Hotels, and I’m like — I always eat a burger, like most of the time I eat a burger after Sunday’s round. So that’s a high chance I’m going to do that.

“I’m fortunate my mother is here this week, my sister, my husband. My brother-in-law left this morning, but to have family and Paul to kind of celebrate together, we’re excited. Though I have a 5.50am flight to catch tomorrow. So I think there won’t be –there will be very little sleep before I take that flight”.

Well played Lydia and, as you rightly pointed out, what a crazy few weeks.

LYDIA KO’S AIG WOMEN’S OPEN FACTS: 

• Lydia Ko is the 2024 AIG Women’s Open champion with a score of 281 (-7), two shots ahead of defending champion Lilia Vu, Ruoning Yin, Nelly Korda and Jiyai Shin. Ko’s fourth round of 69 was the only score under 70 in the last 15 groups.
• Lydia Ko is the first player from New Zealand to win the AIG Women’s Open.
• Lydia Ko has won the AIG Women’s Open in the same month she won an Olympic Gold medal.
• Lydia Ko is the fourth player to have won the AIG Women’s Open and the Smyth Salver (Leading amateur award) and has won both at St Andrews (2013 and 2024).