Ko Jin-young captures top LPGA player honor, money title with victory in season finale

▲ In thie Getty Images photo, Ko Jin-young of South Korea poses with the LPGA Player of the Year trophy after winning the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, on Nov. 21, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ In this Getty Images photo, Ko Jin-young of South Korea watches her tee shot from the fourth hole during the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship on the LPGA Tour at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, on Nov. 21, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ In this Getty Images photo, Ko Jin-young of South Korea (L) and Nelly Korda of the United States play on the 14th hole during the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship on the LPGA Tour at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, on Nov. 21, 2021. (Yonhap)

LPGA-S Korean winner

Ko Jin-young captures top LPGA player honor, money title with victory in season finale

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean star Ko Jin-young has won the top LPGA player award for the second time in her career, on the strength of her successful title defense at the season finale in Florida.

Ko captured her second straight CME Group Tour Championship title at 23-under 265 at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, on Sunday (local time), holding off Nasa Hataoka of Japan by one stroke. It was Ko's LPGA-best fifth win of 2021 and 12th of her career.

Despite lingering pains in her left wrist, Ko collected nine birdies for a blistering final round of 63 and hit the US$1.5 million jackpot, the largest purse for an LPGA winner this year.

Ko killed multiple birds with this one stone.

She claimed her second career Player of the Year award, rallying past Nelly Korda of the United States. Korda entered the tournament leading Ko by 10 points, 191 to 181, but Ko picked up 30 points with her victory to finish at 211, while Korda, who tied for fifth, finished with 197 points. Ko earned her first Player of the Year award in 2019.

Ko also zipped past Korda to win her third straight money title. Korda was the leader coming into this tournament at just over $2.23 million, with Ko right behind her at a little over $2 million. And Ko's $1.5 million just on the last day of the season did the trick.

Ko is the first LPGA player to win three consecutive money titles since Lorena Ochoa did so from 2006 to 2008.

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