AIG Women’s Open: How Lydia Ko claimed major victory ahead of Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda at St Andrews

HIGHLIGHTS: AIG Women’s Open final round
Watch highlights from the final round of the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews as

Lydia Ko shot a three-under 69 to overturn a three-stroke deficit overnight and claim a third major title to go with her Olympic gold this summer…

Watch BMW Championship on Sky Sports
That’s all from us up in St Andrews this week, but the golfing action doesn’t stop there tonight over on Sky Sports.

The final round of the BMW Championship is taking place at Castle Pines, with Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley currently battling it out at the top of the leaderbaord.

Watch the closing stages now, live on Sky Sports Golf.

Ko snatches Women’s Open win as Korda blows late lead
Lydia Ko ended her eight-year major drought by coming through a star-studded leaderboard to claim a dramatic victory in the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews, writes Sky Sports’ Ali Stafford.

The former world No 1 overturned a three-stroke deficit during the final round at the iconic Old Course, mixing four birdies with a lone bogey – in wet and breezy conditions – to close a stunning final-round 69 and set the clubhouse target.

Overnight leader Jiyai Shin, defending champion Lilia Vu and world No 1 Nelly Korda all had chances to catch Ko over the closing stretch but were unsuccessful, as the Olympic gold medallist finished two shots clear and secured a first major win since the 2016 Chevron Championship.

Woad: Major appearances have been great for my confidence
Lottie Woad, speaking to reporters after winning the Smyth Salver award winner as lowest amateur:

“It’s been really great for me confidence-wise.

“Getting to play in all these events, as well, and playing well in a few of them has definitely given me a lot of confidence going into my next year of college. I have definitely learned a lot.”

Korda: I messed up
Nelly Korda, speaking to reporters after falling short in her final round:

“Listen, it’s golf. I’m going to mess up and unfortunately I messed up over the weekend twice in two penalising ways coming down the stretch.

“Theoretically that’s what kind of cost me the tournament but I played well. I played solid.

“I even fought after that. I’m going to take that into the next coming events.”

‘Hard on Korda, but she’ll win more majors’
Dame Laura Davies on Nelly Korda missing out…

“It’s hard. She knows how hard it is… she has already won six [titles this year].

“She has played great golf but you can’t always be the one that gets the win.

“It’s so difficult out there. Four days in that, I thought the scoring was incredible for the whole week.

“It just didn’t work out for her. But she’s still an absolutely great player and a worthy world No 1 – and will be for quite some time to come. I think she’ll win many more major championships.”

Davies: Woad can be future Open champion
Dame Laura Davies on leading amateur Lottie Woad…

“I think one day you can swap the trophies almost, I can see Lottie Woad with the trophy.

“She’s got the game for it. Had a rough patch today but fought back and showed how good she is.

“Huge future, looking forward to the Curtis Cup next week.”

Woad ‘feeling really good’ ahead of Curtis Cup
Woad, looking ahead to the Curtis Cup next week:

“I’m feeling really good. I’ve played Sunningdale quite a bit, so I know the course.

“I’m hoping the weather is a little better so I can hit the ball in the air again after playing knock-down shots all week. It should be really fun.

“Catriona Matthew has obviously got great experience, having been captain of winning Solheim Cups, so she’s definitely going to help us a lot this week.”

Davies: Ko can win more titles!
Dame Laura Davies on Lydia Ko…

“Winning is everything in professional sport. If she goes off the boil over the next couple of years then it won’t be so much fun and she might make that decision, but at the moment you have to feel more titles are there. Why wouldn’t you want to keep going?”

Woad: I kind of grinded it out
Lottie Woad, Smyth Salver award winner as lowest amateur, speaking to Sky Sports:

“It feels really good.

“It was quite tough conditions today, so I was conscious of what I needed to do. I just kind of grinded it out at the end.”

How much longer will Ko be around?
Dame Laura Davies on the prospect of Lydia Ko retiring…

“It’s one of those things of how much better can it get? The last three weeks she’s had, it’s been extraordinary.

“She’ll want to win more no question, she’s playing great golf, there are five more majors to come next year, I’d be surprised if retirement came sooner rather than later.

“She’s been playing golf since she was four, so even though she’s 27 that’s a lot of gold. It wears you out mentally.”

‘Ko on top of the world!’
Dame Laura Davies on Open champion Lydia Ko…

“It hasn’t always gone her way, she’s had rough patches, but she’s back on top of the world now!”

WATCH: Story of Ko’s major-winning final round!
Here’s a look back at the best of Lydia Ko’s final round of 69 round the Old Course at St Andrew that secured her the AIG Women’s Open courtesy of a closing birdie at 18…

‘Comparing majors like picking between parents’
Ko, on where she ranks her third major title alongside her other achievements:

“That’s kind of like saying, ‘do you like your mother or your father better?’

“They are all special in their own ways… even the [Olympic] silver and bronze were some of the biggest highlights in my career.

“I said before I retire, whenever that is, that I would love to win another major championship. That was the goal I set with my coaches and here I am as a three-time major champion.”

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Davies: We should enjoy Ko while we can!
Dame Laura Davies speaking on Sky Sports Golf…

“Her game is so uncomplicated that when she’s on it it’s so easy for her. She doesn’t seem to feel the pressure like most people do.

“She probably won’t play much longer by the sound of it, it sounds like she wants to start a family, and we should enjoy her while we have her because she’s one of the very best in the world.

“I picked her at the start of the week because of the way she can control those rescues.”

‘Not a bad three weeks!’
Dame Laura Davis speaking on Sky Sports Golf…

“She did fantastic, she’s a class act, she’s in the Hall of Fame, won a gold medal and now won the AIG Women’s Open in three weeks, not bad!

“She’s an absolute superstar, and she’s so nice as well!”

Ko: St Andrews a special place
More from Ko on keeping her cool during her final round:

“Like I said, with what happened these last few weeks, I said ‘it’s not going to happen, so don’t overreact’.

“I just tried to focus on the shot in front of me. I had two main goals for today: making a par on 11 and birdieing the 18th. I accomplished both.

“I was almost more excited that I had those two small wins for the day.

“It’s a special place [St Andrews]. I was fortunate enough to play here as an amateur in 2013 when Stacy [Lewis] won. I would never have imagined that 11 years later I would be in her shoes.

Ko: Holding this trophy, I can’t believe it
Lydia Ko, speaking to Sky Sports’ Sarah Stirk at the trophy presentation:

“It’s pretty surreal.

“Winning the gold meal in Paris a couple of weeks ago, it was almost too good to be true.

“Heading into the weekend, I was in contention. I said to myself, ‘how is it possible for me to win the AIG Women’s Open?’ I’d had the most Cinderella-like story the past few weeks…

“Of all the major championships, this one I’ve had the least amount of confidence, because I’ve had the least amount of experience on links and the results haven’t followed either.

“So to be holding this trophy right now, I can’t believe it.”

Trophy lift time for Lydia Ko!
Woad wins Smyth Salver award