18 Jul 2016

Flashbacks torment Ko

2:08 pm on 18 July 2016

Flashbacks of the US Open slipping from her grasp a week ago, tormented women's world golf number one Lydia Ko as she battled for victory in the latest LPGA tour event in Ohio.

Ko has won her fourth LPGA title of the year but needed four playoff holes to do so.

The New Zealander has won the Marathon Classic in Ohio after seeing off South Korea's Mirim Lee and Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn in a sudden death playoff, after the trio finished at 14 under par.

Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko has won her fourth LPGA title of the year. Photo: Photosport

The trio then had to play the 18th hole four more times before Ko was victorious.

Ko had an underwhelming back nine on her final round, with two bogies, and she also missed a birdie putt on the 18th, which would have given her the title without the sudden death playoff.

"It was just slipping more and more away during the back nine and I said hopefully it's not like what happend a few weeks ago," she said.

"The longer we were out here, we were all physically and mentally getting a little tired...and I said the hole is big enough for the ball to fit in.

"But we all deserve to be holding the trophy but I think I am very fortunate to be the one (with it)," said Ko.

Also today, Ko was confirmed, along with Danny Lee and Ryan Fox, in the New Zealand team for the Rio Olympics in August.

Ko is one of New Zealand's leading medal hopes, with the world's top women golfers having made the Olympics a priority - unlike their male counterparts, with the top four ranked men's golfers all withdrawing citing health concerns due to Zika.

Lee is currently ranked 40th in the world but, with restrictions of just four players from any one country, he is the 12th highest-ranked player in the men's field.

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