Jin Young Ko defends title at HSBC World Championship

Jin Young Ko.
Photo: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire

Jin Young Ko defended her title by posting a two-stroke win at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.

Ko shot a 3-under-par 69 in the final round and finish at 17-under 271 at Sentosa Golf Club (Tanjong Course).

The 27-year-old South Korean returned from a 58-minute storm delay to record three straight pars and fend off Nelly Korda, who also shot a 69 on Sunday.

It’s Ko’s 14th career LPGA Tour victory. She joined countrywoman Inbee Park as the only other multiple-time winner of the HSBC Women’s World Championship. It was her first tour win since her victory in the same tournament in 2022.

“It’s the most important (win),” said Ko, who collected four birdies against one bogey on Sunday. “Because I had a tough year last year, and I fought with injury and not good game and mentally tough and everything, and then I won this week. So it’s going to be more important to me and it’s going to be big momentum for me in my life.

“I (knew) Nelly (was) behind me. I thought it was just one or two shots, so it was close. But after the delay, I rested in dining, and I saw the TV and the scoreboard, and (I had) a three-shot lead. But I had two more holes left, so, OK, let’s make par, play safe. But it was really hard to make par on 17, 18. It’s a great honor to defend this title again.”

Korda recorded three straight birdies on Nos. 3-5 to close within one shot of Ko, however that charge was slowed by a bogey on the sixth hole.

“Didn’t play really well but kind of didn’t really battle as much as I wanted to,” Korda said. “I just made a couple kind of silly mistakes here and there. It was nice to finish with a birdie and be in contention again, be in the final group feeling the emotions, and hopefully I can build off of that going into the next few events now in the States.”

Japan’s Ayaka Furue collected seven birdies against two bogeys to card a 67 on Sunday. She finished in a tie for third place with Allisen Corpuz (69) and Danielle Kang (68) at 14-under 274.

Corpuz was looking to become the first player from Hawaii to win on the LPGA Tour since Michelle Wie West won the 2018 HSBC Women’s World Championship.

Japan’s Yuka Saso (66) finished in sixth place at 13-under 275.

New Zealand’s World No.1 Lydia Ko finished tied for 31st.

–Reuters