Lydia Ko pips Lewis to Canadian title

• Lydia Ko wins in Canada for the third time in four years
• Sees off American Stacy Lewis at the first play-off hole
• Win marks the 18-year-old’s eighth in her young career

Lydia Ko defeated Stacy Lewis in a play-off to take home her third Canadian Pacific Women’s Open title in the last four years.

The victory marked the 18-year-old’s eighth of her career and the three wins in Canada already ties her with Meg Mallon and Pat Bradley for the most in tournament history.

Posting a 12-under-par score after a level par final round of 72, all the momentum seemed to be with American Lewis heading into the play-off after she birdied two of the last three holes to help her record a five-under-par 67.

But on the playoff hole, Lewis found trouble off the tee and with her approach and was forced to scramble for a missed par attempt, while Ko calmly hit the fairway and green and then two-putted for ensure her third victory of 2015.

“I had an amazing week” – Lydia Ko

“It feels amazing,” Lydia Ko said. “It’s great to come back to Vancouver and play well in front of such big crowds. I had an amazing week. I didn’t know that in 2012, I might be coming back here in a couple years, and then winning here again. So many great memories here and hopefully we’ll be able to come back here.”

“It would have been great if I was coming down the 18th with like a four-shot lead like I did in 2012,” Ko said with a smile. “But it is what it is. Stacy played amazing today; to shoot 67 under those conditions.”

CONTINUES BELOW…

Despite narrowly missing out, Lewis – who was announced as one of the automatic picks for the US Solheim Cup team – was content with her day’s work.

“Well, if you would have told me at the beginning of the day, I was going to be in a play-off, I would have been pretty happy,” Stacy Lewis admitted. “Just with the way my game has been over the last month or so, I felt I was close to putting together a good round, and that’s what I did today. I would have liked a better lie in the rough in the play-off, but other than that, it was pretty good.”

“It’s great to be back in the winner’s circle” – Lydia Ko

While Lydia Ko has taken home the trophy three times, 2015 will mark the first time that she has been able to take home a winner’s cheque as her victories at the tournament in 2012 and 2013 came when she was still an amateur.

“You know, really the cheque is the last thing I’m thinking about,” Lydia Ko said. “It’s great to be back in the winner’s circle, and to play good golf in front of great crowds was really one of the highlights of this week.”

Lydia Ko :: Return to world No.1 soon?

Despite losing ground to Inbee Park at No.2 in the world rankings recently, when do you think we’ll see the Kiwi back at the summit? Leave your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.