Lydia Ko (-13) is on a roll. She closed a memorable 2024 with her victory at the Olympic Games, her induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame, and capped it off by winning the Open. She lifted her third Major after an eight-year wait. She would have time for another triumph at the Kroger Queen.
At the start of 2025, the New Zealander maintains her form and extends her great streak by winning the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore this Sunday. Lydia lifts the so-called Asian Major for the first time in her career, a prestigious title that had yet to find its place in her trophy cabinet.
There were whispers of retirement last autumn, but it was Ko herself, who is only 27 years old and has been playing for what seems like an eternity, who delayed the farewell siren calls. The former World Number One at just 17 years old is experiencing a second youth that she is thoroughly enjoying.
This week at Sentosa Golf Club, she has gone from strength to strength. She had a solid start on Thursday that positioned her on the brink of the top ten, on Friday she waved her magic wand and delivered the second-best card of the day, placing her second on the leaderboard, on Saturday she seized the lead, and this Sunday she sealed the victory with overwhelming authority and a three-shot advantage over the runner-up, Ayake Furue (-10).
The three-time Major winner admitted just after finishing that the night before she had dreamt of victory: “Last night I dreamt I won, but I woke up and told myself: oh, it’s not real yet.” It took only a few hours for Lydia’s dream to become a reality. The truth is that this Sunday Ko’s victory was never in jeopardy, and in case there was any hint of rebellion, Lydia made sure to quash it with three consecutive birdies before closing the first nine and making it clear who was going to take the win. In fact, the lead extended to four strokes after sinking an incredible putt of over thirteen metres.
For Lydia, it is her 23rd victory on the LPGA and her 31st professional win. Charley Hull (-7), her immediate pursuer after the third round, showed her grey side and with a round of 74 strokes was not in a position to fight for the title. Jeeno Thitikul (-9) completed the tournament podium with a round of 70 strokes. Her modest second round of par really prevented her from contending for the win. This Sunday she would have needed to emulate Saturday’s great round (66 strokes) to be in the mix. Two early birdies put her just one stroke behind, but once Ko got going, she couldn’t keep up. Hannah Green (-6), the defending champion, finished the tournament in seventh place.
Carlota Ciganda (-4) finished the tournament in a commendable 14th place. The Spaniard was quite consistent throughout the week in Singapore. Two rounds of 71 strokes to start the tournament, a par round on moving day, and this Sunday she delivered the best card of the week with 70 strokes. The Navarrese lacked a standout round to climb higher in the standings. Nonetheless, with the field present at Sentosa Golf Club, a top-twenty finish is a good result.
Check the final results of the HSBC Women’s World Championship
