CLIFTON (Agencies): A fourth straight LPGA tournament was decided by a play-off as Ko Jin-young beat defending champion Minjee Lee to win the Founders Cup for a third time.
The South Korean won with a par on the first extra hole where Australian Lee could only three-putt for bogey. Lee led by two with three holes to go in New Jersey but a bogey at the 16th opened the door for Ko, who birdied the last to join her on 13 under.
“I played really, really good,” said Ko, who shot a five-under 67 on Sunday. “It was so windy, was too windy out there, so I thought if I play really well I could have a chance to win. “So I really focused myself and focused shot by shot on every hole and didn’t look at the scoreboard. I didn’t think about the other players.”
South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai finished third at 10 under with South Korea’s Hae-Ran Ryu one shot further back at Upper Montclair Country Club.
England’s Georgia Hall finished tied for 10th on four under. Ko, who won the Founders Cup on different courses in 2021 and 2019, now has 15 wins, including two major championships, in just six years on the LPGA Tour.
