After earthquake, Lydia Ko wins New Zealand Open, donates winnings
Just 10 minutes before her Sunday tee time at the New Zealand Open, leader Lydia Ko was on the practice putting green when she felt the 5.7-magnitude earthquake that struck in Christchurch.
“It was interesting,” Ko said. “I’ve never been on a golf course where there is an earthquake.”
Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries at the host club, Clearwater Golf Club, and in the vicinity of city. The golf continued on, and Ko successfully defended the title she won last year, marking her third victory in this event in the last four years. Ko finished at 10-under 206 to win by two shots over three players.
“To defend a tournament is one thing but to play well in your national open in front of so many people here makes it extra special,” Ko said. “It is a week to remember.”
Ko now has 15 professional wins before she turns 19, and she heads to Australia for next week’s Women’s Australian Open for yet another title defense.
After her win on Sunday, Ko was emotional as she spoke about the support she received in her junior years from New Zealand’s national golf program. Ko vowed to donate all of her first-place winnings, approximately $33,000, to helping the nation she calls home in some way.
“I have discussed this with my family and my team and this is something that we all want to do,” Ko said. “We will seriously think about the best way that we can use this money to help New Zealand.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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