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| Ko Jin-young of South Korea imitates a selfie as she poses with the CME Globe trophy after winning the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on December 20, 2020 in Naples, Florida. AFP-Yonhap |
Her swing, admittedly, wasn't perfect. She only wanted to relax and enjoy her final 18 holes of the 2020 LPGA season. And she kept praying throughout the day.
In the end, Ko Jin-young emerged victorious at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, on Sunday (local time). The world No. 1 from South Korea shot a six-under 66 in the final round for a five-stroke victory over two players, including her countrywoman Kim Sei-young.
Ko hit a US$1.1 million jackpot and clinched her second straight money title with a little over $1.66 million.
That should be enough money to help Ko buy a new house in Texas.
"I looked at houses in the U.S. until this morning, but I had no money in my bank account because I sent all my money to Korea," Ko said with a smile during her post-victory press conference. "So I needed money to buy the house, and I can buy it right now."
Asked if she allowed herself to think about the house on the course, Ko responded, "Uh-huh, yep."
Ko said she chose Texas so she could live near a close friend of hers on the tour, Hur Mi-jung. Earlier this month, Ko stayed at Hur's place in Frisco, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, and fell in love with the city.
Ko poured in seven birdies against just one bogey in the final round. That lone bogey at the ninth hole was her first since the 12th hole during the first round.
Despite the impressive bogey-free streak, Ko said her swing wasn't where she wanted it to be ― not that it mattered.
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| Ko Jin-young talks with her caddie, David Brooker, on the 17th hole during the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on December 20, 2020 in Naples, Florida. AFP-Yonhap |
"You don't have to have a perfect swing on the course," Ko said. "I would say that, just feel it with your body and your muscle. I didn't want to think about my mechanics or small things. Making putts inside 10 feet is more important."
Ko defended her money title despite playing in just four tournaments this year. The LPGA season was cut from 33 tournaments to 18 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Ko had planned to make her season debut in March, but the tour went into a hiatus in February. The play resumed at the end of July, but Ko stayed home a bit longer and played her first LPGA event in November.
The CME Group Tour Championship is only open to the top 70 players on the Race to CME Globe points race, and Ko needed a top-four finish at last week's U.S. Women's Open to squeeze into the season finale. Ko ended up in second place and made most of her opportunity at the CME.
Ko punctuated her victory with a birdie at the 18th hole. She was already up by four strokes standing over the putt at the final hole, but her veteran caddie, David Brooker, kept pushing her.
Brooker, who helped World Golf Hall of Famer Lorena Ochoa to 21 victories in the mid-aughts, shared with Ko what the former Mexican star used to tell him.
"When I arrived at the (18th) green, he told me, 'Lorena Ochoa always said professionals have to have a perfect finish,'" Ko said. "So that was my motivation for my last putt. I made it. Thank you, Dave and Lorena."
Ko's swing may not have been perfect, but the ending was. (Yonhap)
