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Korean golfer Ko claims Australian Open

South Korean golfer Jin Young Ko has won the Women's Australian Open in Adelaide.

Jin Young Ko from Korea hits of on the 4th
Jin Young Ko leads by two shots at the midway point of her final round at the Australian Open. (AAP)

South Korea's Jin Young Ko led from go to whoa in the Australian Open for a winning feat not achieved on the LPGA Tour for almost 70 years.

The 22-year-old from Seoul completed a wire-to-wire victory at Kooyonga in Adelaide on Sunday, winning by three strokes.

Ko became the first golfer in 67 years to win their first tournament as a full LPGA Tour member.

Ko triumphed in a co-sanctioned event last year when not a full card-carrier and has also won 10 times on the Korean tour.

On Sunday, she calmly held off challenges from compatriot Hyejin Choi and Australian duo Hannah Green and Katherine Kirk.

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Ko (14 under) shot three-under in the final round with Choi (11 under) second.

Perth's Green carded three-under to finish third at 10-under and Kirk produced the day's low round, a stellar seven-under 65, to take fourth place at nine-under.

Green, in her rookie LPGA year, lamented being unable to repeat her third-round 66.

"I hit it close but just unfortunately the putts that went in during the start of the week didn't go in," Green said.

"Momentum was really the key thing yesterday and it was a little bit different today. It's hard to keep momentum."

Green's compatriot Kirk got on a roll which stopped just short of the leaders.

Kirk peeled off four consecutive birdies from the third hole in an "unexpected" hot streak.

"I didn't make anything the first three days so I guess maybe I was due to make some today," Kirk said.

Kirk's feats came as local Stephanie Na landed a hole-in-one on Sunday.

Adelaide's Na aced the 150m par-three third hole - the second hole-in-one of the tournament.

"I didn't think it was on line and went to pick up the tee, then everyone was going wild ... the next time I looked up, it had gone in," Na said.

But unlike Swede Jenny Haglund, Na won't win a luxury car as the reward wasn't on offer at the third hole.

Haglund on Saturday aced the par-three 14th, winning a luxury Genesis car in the process.

Na finished at three-under while Australia's top-ranked golfer, world No.17 Minjee Lee, was eight under in a tie for fifth.


3 min read

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Source: AAP



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