Ko a cut above the rest; Saso finishes 48th

MANILA, Philippines – Best of the best.

Jin Young Ko closed the rousing LPGA season in style, shooting a solid nine-under 63 to claim practically all the titles and honors that mattered in the extended pandemic year — the richest purse, the winningest tag and the Player of the Year.

The Korean also tied her career-best score for 18 holes while setting a new tournament scoring record at 23-under 265.

Fil-Japanese star Yuka Saso, who had sparked hopes of a big finish with a strong start Thursday, failed to mount any kind of rally and wound up way down at 48th after a third straight 73 that however failed to ruin a remarkable maiden LPGA campaign she spiked with a historic major feat in the US Women’s Open last June.

But stablemate Ko's triumph didn’t come easy. With a nagging wrist injury preventing her from training fully for the season-ending event, Ko banked on her sheer talent and determination to buck overwhelming odds, squeezing out her very best against the world No. 1 and a host of equally-driven aces in a performance for the ages in Naples, Florida Sunday.

Though she insisted she played pressure-free all throughout the final 18 holes, the 26-year-old Ko simply put one big shot after another and displayed remarkable resolve to put away Nelly Korda behind a frontside burst at the Tiburon Gold then fended off Nasa Hataoka’s charge in the stretch with clutch putts to beat the Japanese by one and retain the crown she won also by a shot over Aussie Hannah Green last year.

“I don’t have pressure on the course. I just want to better play than the other players. So, I did it, and yeah," said Ko, who broke out of a tight four-way tie after 54 holes with a six-birdie blitz at the front then bucked Hataoka’s five-birdie binge in the last nine holes with a key birdie on the 17th and a title-clinching par putt on the 72nd hole.

“I’m happy to make like my best career score — 63. 64 my best score, record, but I crushed it and it’s so happy,” she added.

Securing her second Rolex Player of the Year award, the Solaire ambassadress also bested Korda by one in their personal duel for the number of wins this season with five, becoming the first player to record five victories in a season since Thai Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016.

With 12 career wins, she also became the third Korean to win five or more times in an LPGA Tour season, along with Se Ri Pak and Inbee Park.

Pocketing the richest purse ever staked in women’s golf — $1.5 million, Ko also got past Korda to top the year’s money derby with $3,502,161 in earnings. The American, who had held the lead in the Player of the Year race with a victory in the Pelican Championship last week, settled for No. 2 with $2,382,198.

Saso, at No. 3 in the money list heading to this event, tumbled to No. 6 instead with $1,517,629, including the $16,613 she received for placing 48th with a 285 total after a third straight 73, 20 strokes behind Ko.

The ICTSI-backed Saso got into the early mix with an opening 66 for joint sixth but lost sight of her target with three straight one-over par cards for that low placing. She missed just one fairway on a 255-yard driving norm and three greens but struggled with her putting with 31 in the final round, groped in a backside start and made two bogeys, falling to three-over with another miscue on No. 3. But she birdied two of the last six holes to save a 35-38.

Her 48th finish, however, was her second worst, next to her tied for 50th finish in the ANA Inspiration, in 13 LPGA events she marked with one major win and six other Top 6 finishes.

As Korda failed to match Ko’s blazing start, Hataoka, who lost to Saso in sudden death in the US Women's Open, put up a fight at the back but ran out of holes, her 64 and a 266 netting her the runner-up honors worth $480,000 while Mina Harigae, also of the US, rallied with a 67 to tie Frenchwoman Celine Boutier, who joined Ko, Hataoka and Korda at the helm Saturday but struggled with a frontside 36 before bouncing back with an eagle-spiked 32 for a 68, at third at 270. Each got $268,657.

Korda had a solid three-under card after 10 holes but bowed out with a bogey on No. 15. She birdied the 1t7 to salvage a 69 for joint fifth at 271 with compatriot Megan Khang and Aussie Minjee Lee, who both fired 66s, while Lexi Thompson closed out with a second straight 68 for solo eighth at 272 while Kiwi Lydia Ko rallied with a 64 to tie Korean In Gee Chun and Mexican Gaby Lopez, who carded 65 and 70, respectively, at 273.

But the day — and the season — belonged to Ko. Even without a major crown this year, she romped away with the biggest prize money in women’s golf, a scoring average of 68.774, five victories and the Rolex Player of the Year.

She, however, said she wants anything but golf in the off-season.

“I want to keep the (golf) clubs at a distance and not think about golf and get a good sleep. Just want to put potato chips in my stomach and watch Netflix,” she said.

Not even Korda or the rest of her rivals would contest that.