LPGA Tour: Marina Alex edges World No 1 Jin Young Ko by one shot to win Palos Verdes Championship | Golf News

Marina Alex claims second LPGA Tour title after one-shot win over World No 1 Jin Young Ko in California; American birdies the 16th before parring out to claim victory; Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh finishes in share of 21st place; England’s Bronte Law ends in 39th spot

Marina Alex celebrates with the trophy after winning the Palos Verdes Championship in California

Marina Alex edged out World No 1 Jin Young Ko by one stroke to win the Palos Verdes Championship and claim her second LPGA Tour title.

The 31-year-old birdied the par-five 16th and then parred 17 and 18 to match Ko’s five-under-par 66 for the day and finish 10 under for the event.

Alex’s victory in California comes three and a half years after her first on the LPGA tour, the 2018 Cambia Portland Classic.

Alex, who recently battled a herniated disc in her lower back, was three shots behind 54-hole leader Hannah Green heading into the final round,

Alex said: “The hard work has paid off. I wasn’t sure if this would ever happen again if I’m being perfectly honest. It’s been tough.

“We’re all getting older. I’m getting older. There are so many amazing players out here and the competition is really, really difficult.

“I just didn’t know if my mind and body were going to put me back in a position that I was going to be able to do it again. Today was the day.”

Two-time major winner Ko finished her round about an hour before Alex and had to watch on as the American took the outright lead by two-putting from 40 feet on the 16th and then kept her cool on the final two holes.

World No 1 Jin Young Ko finished second, one shot behind Alex

Alex added: “Covid-19 slowed all of us down and then I was injured really quick after that. I had seven months off.

“It’s just been really tough rebuilding [but] coming into this year I have finally felt good physically.”

World No 3 Lydia Ko and Megan Khang finished tied third on eight under, with Ko carding a one-under 70 on Sunday and Khang a three-under 68.

Overnight leader Green finished in a share of fifth place on seven under after her second straight one-over-par round of 72.

Alex’s final-round 66 took her to her second LPGA Tour title

Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh ended in a share of 21st place on three under after shooting two over for her final round.

The 28-year-old carded birdies at the sixth, seventh and eighth holes but then double-bogeyed the ninth before suffering four bogeys on the back nine.

The highest-placed English finisher was Bronte Law, whose three-over-par final round left her in a share of 39th place.

Jodi Ewart Shadoff (+1), Charlotte Thomas (+2) and Charley Hull (+4) came 49th, 59th and 65th respectively, although Ewart Shadoff did rise 20 places on the final day with a three-under 68, which featured four birdies on the back nine as she came home in 31.

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