Golf: Teenager wins LPGA Marathon Classic with closing birdie

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Sylvania, Ohio • Now that she's officially a millionaire, Lydia Ko joked she'll have to keep a closer watch on where her paychecks go.

"I'll probably see that going into my mom's account," she said with a laugh, referring to the $210,000 she got for winning Sunday's Marathon Classic.

The 17-year-old broke free from a late tie with So Yeon Ryu, hitting a wedge to 4 feet for birdie on the 72nd hole to take the lead. Then she tried in vain — she's just 5-foot-5 — to see past the large gallery at 18 as Ryu missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have forced a playoff.

"I couldn't see it properly. I was behind some people," she said after her second LPGA Tour victory that matched the two Canadian Open titles she won as an amateur. "But I kind of could tell what happened by the crowd's reaction."

She became the youngest player to top $1 million in career earnings on the LPGA Tour. Ko is roughly 17 months younger than Lexi Thompson, previously the youngest. Ko has shown incredible consistency in her rookie year on tour, making the cut in all 15 tournaments she's entered. She has six top-10 finishes in addition to her wins, with five of those being top-fives.

Ryu had poured in a big-breaking, 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th to pull even.

But then Ko stuck her approach at the par-5 closing hole and calmly rolled in the birdie putt for a 6-under 65 that left her at 15-under 269.

Ryu hit a brilliant third shot to the green, but pushed her 6-footer at the 18th.

"Absolutely I'm disappointed I missed [that] birdie putt," she said. "Sometimes if I get something lucky, then I get something that is unlucky. I just accept it and let it go."

Ko was resilient, also shrugging aside a challenge from veteran Cristie Kerr, who pulled into a tie with her on the homeward nine.

Ko, who proudly bears the flag of her native New Zealand on her golf bag, started the final round in fifth place, three shots behind co-leaders Laura Diaz and Lee-Anne Pace.

While they foundered, she crept up the leaderboard with birdies at holes 3 and 4. She tied for the top spot with a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-3 eighth, then took a solo lead for the first time after hitting her approach to 10 feet at the 10th.

Kerr, seeking her 17th career victory, rolled in a breaker from 15 feet at the 13th to pull even. But her approach on the 399-yard, par-4 15th missed left and settled into heavy rough. She muscled the pitch shot onto the green, but it rolled 6 feet past and she lipped out the par putt. —

Sunday's scores

LPGA Marathon Classic Par Scores

At Highland Meadows Golf Club

Sylvania, Ohio

Purse • $1.4 million

Yardage • 6,512; Par • 71

Final

Lydia Ko, $210,000 67-67-70-65 — 269

So Yeon Ryu, $128,069 68-67-68-67 — 270

Cristie Kerr, $92,905 70-67-68-67 — 272

Kelly Tan, $59,015 68-70-68-67 — 273

Katherine Kirk, $59,015 69-68-68-68 — 273

Lee-Anne Pace, $59,015 66-68-68-71 — 273

P. Lindberg, $32,044 71-68-70-65 — 274

Julieta Granada, $32,044 68-72-68-66 — 274

Kris Tamulis, $32,044 73-69-64-68 — 274

Lindsey Wright, $32,044 67-70-69-68 — 274

Mo Martin, $32,044 67-71-67-69 — 274

R. Lee-Bentham, $23,045 68-67-72-68 — 275

Ai Miyazato, $23,045 68-72-67-68 — 275

Mirim Lee, $23,045 71-67-68-69 — 275

Karine Icher, $19,259 73-67-73-63 — 276

Lexi Thompson, $19,259 71-72-66-67 — 276

Candie Kung, $19,259 70-67-69-70 — 276

Tiffany Joh, $15,586 71-72-67-67 — 277

Mariajo Uribe, $15,586 67-70-71-69 — 277

Austin Ernst, $15,586 66-73-66-72 — 277

Brittany Lang, $15,586 70-66-69-72 — 277

Brooke Pancake, $15,586 69-69-67-72 — 277 Jaye Marie Green, $15,586 72-68-63-74 — 277

Laura Diaz, $15,586 62-69-71-75 — 277

Jennifer Rosales, $11,950 70-69-71-68 — 278

Jenny Shin, $11,950 72-70-67-69 — 278

Meena Lee, $11,950 72-70-66-70 — 278

Stacy Lewis, $11,950 70-70-68-70 — 278

Beatriz Recari, $11,950 70-68-70-70 — 278

Marina Alex, $11,950 69-69-69-71 — 278

B. Lincicome, $11,950 69-69-69-71 — 278

Katy Harris, $8,491 74-69-69-67 — 279

Jennifer Johnson, $8,491 73-69-70-67 — 279

M. Jutanugarn, $8,491 72-69-70-68 — 279

Chella Choi, $8,491 71-72-67-69 — 279

Haru Nomura, $8,491 69-70-71-69 — 279

Kristy McPherson, $8,491 71-68-70-70 — 279

Marissa L Steen, $8,491 67-73-69-70 — 279

Na Yeon Choi, $8,491 69-71-68-71 — 279

Belen Mozo, $8,491 71-68-69-71 — 279

Caroline Hedwall, $8,491 69-68-69-73 — 279

Sarah Jane Smith, $5,881 70-71-71-68 — 280

Eun-Hee Ji, $5,881 72-69-69-70 — 280

Danielle Kang, $5,881 69-71-70-70 — 280

Amelia Lewis, $5,881 69-74-67-70 — 280

Katie M. Burnett, $5,881 67-73-68-72 — 280

Pat Hurst, $5,881 71-70-67-72 — 280

Kim Kaufman, $5,881 70-71-67-72 — 280

Kayla Mortellaro, $5,881 69-67-70-74 — 280

H. Bowie Young, $4,698 71-69-71-70 — 281

Moira Dunn, $4,698 70-69-70-72 — 281

Christina Kim, $4,698 69-70-70-72 — 281

Victoria Elizabeth, $4,698 71-69-68-73 — 281

Morgan Pressel, $3,997 72-70-71-69 — 282