New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko earned her 14th career LPGA Tour title at the Marathon Classic, defeating Ariya Jutanugarn and Lee Mi-Rim on the fourth extra hole.
The 19-year-old world number one won the event on Sunday for the second time in three years as she shot a final round two-under 69 at the Highland Meadows Golf Club course in Sylvania, Ohio.
Ko got to 14-under par 270 in regulation as she rallied to catch the leaders and get into the playoff with Lee, who shot 65 and Ariya, who had a 68.
Ko birdied the fourth extra hole while Ariya had a par and Lee made bogey. The trio all recorded pars through the first three playoff holes as they continued to play No. 18 until someone came out on top.
“I think we were all getting a little bit physically and mentally tired as we were continuing to play the same hole,” said Ko.
“I just tried to keep being patient. Just seeing a putt drop for birdie kind of got my emotions going.
“I’m not really a huge fist pump kind of person, but I think it’s probably the biggest fist pump I’ve ever done.”
South Korean Kim Hyo-Joo shot a 73 to finish alone in fourth at 13-under 271. American Stacy Lewis closed with a 71 to place fifth while Recari Beatriz and Alison Lee tied for sixth at 274, four strokes adrift.
Ko started the final round at 12-under par, three shots back from leader Kim Hyo-Joo in a tie for second with Alison Lee. Besides her four birdies she had two bogeys and 12 pars.
Lee Mi-Rim fired a final round six-under par 65 to post her low round of the week. She started the final round at eight-under par, seven strokes off the lead.
Ariya trailed by four strokes heading into Sunday. She said she usually got nervous in playoffs but was getting better at playing under pressure.
“It’s really nice for me to have a chance in a playoff,” she said. “I was in a playoff last year, but I always lost on the first hole. It’s pretty crazy for me because it took a long time.”
It marked the second time in two years that it has taken extra holes to determine a Marathon winner. In 2015, Chella Choi needed just one playoff hole to beat rookie Jang Ha-Na and earn her first US Tour victory
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