Lydia Ko 2024 Open Championship Final Round

given the conditions here today in St Andrews this is game 39 on the te from the USA on the te from New Zealand Olympic champion Lydia Co but it's not as long as the list of the things that we can say about Lydia Co quite remarkable what she did two weeks ago in Paris after getting silver in Rio bronze in Tokyo she won the gold medal to get the matching set it's somewhere in her Ruck alongside it out there this week after Paris they reset the goal she said maybe one more major would be [Music] nice I know nice opening t- shot there from Lydia amazing to think she's only won two majors with the career she's had it's been eight years since I went at the 2016 Chevron championship and that is in Prime position there down the right hand side nice low little penetrating fade I think this will be a really nice uh pairing for Pano as well you know a real thrill to play with Lydia and Lydia you know is she really is a really nice person to play with will be very encouraging to Pano as well so a nice comfortable pairing for her I I think there's a person in World Golf that wouldn't put the hand up to play alongside that woman on screen we've never had a but she's feeling so good she said she maybe I'll read it on the plane ride home doesn't need any tips right now full of confidence now Lydia CO's turn she too has plenty of that yeah Lydia just from 105 here right in her wheelhouse I'd expect this between 10 15 ft a beautiful sounding thump but oo big first bounce there with the water on the greens now from this rain you're going to get a little bit more of a skid and you're not going to be able to quite penetrate the surface of the greens to the same shots back and here is is Lydia this is for birdie at thei just a slow putt uphill into the winds could she continue the fairy tale season next first let's get to the third two pars to start for Lydia Co second at the third so shots back oh just any spin look at that there's a obviously a Downs slope there he did and I I heard that they don't have too many concerts in St Andrews so this was a really big deal for the for the local folks here and obviously people that came to the watch the championship could go to the concert as well can just see the stage there on the right side of your screen that's where they were partying last night looks like her ball moved just a little bit here Lydia's putting it back I was talking to uh one of the members of the RNA rules committee that was involved in changing the rule um a few years ago where you owned the spot when you put the mark down and he was saying that you know when they were when they were thinking about that rule change they felt like the putting green was really a different part of the golf course and so making those adjustments to the rules was the right thing to do and uh as you remember a couple of couple of things changed you're able to touch the line of your Putt and the flag stick staying in and of course being able to mark the ball and own that spot and a really good effort there from Lydia so if the Wind Blows the ball away from the hole you can put it B just to her right that's what she's waiting for we see those flags Morgan how about the wind direction today yeah it's different it's a little bit more from the south so this front n will play a little bit more downwind than what the players have experienced so far this week it had been coming a little bit more out of the left of her college degree careful here now Lydia Co L of course laid it up here so this one for birdie Leia just lurking ready to make a move today and that one's going to be a par for Lydia Lydia Co one back on the te at the sixth yeah just got to avoid a plethora of bunkers here both on the left and the right side of this Fairway and that looks like splitting the difference right there perfect t- shot struggled with her ball striking a little bit in recent years Fifth and the 14th Lydia Co good drive second shot here at six looks like she just has a little wedge no this is going to get better she's been producing more spin on those wed shots than anybody else that we have seen deal with those elements and watching the best players in the world deal with them could one of those best join the leaders Lydia Co for birdie at six I mean Morgan this leaderboard Nelly Lilia ghn Lydia Co your top four and chips seven Lydia Co and the T yesterday we saw players hitting drivers and flirting with shell bunker that one hat on the outside of the Beanie I've never seen that but that is clever I like that I always put it underneath and it felt like too much it's hard Lydia Co see how close she came to that bunker and she did hit the three-wood off the tea and the same place she was yesterday too yeah that's going to be okay there's a Scottish caddy seven and look how far right she's aiming here the wind is going to affect it bit of slope in that green as well that looked like exactly where she was trying to hit it Tom just overplayed the break looked like a good stroke I love that on the te at the eighth just one shot back Lydia Co and a chance to tie the lead ending up in a couple Fairway bunkers set her caddy Cole helped to calm her down bring her back hey we still got a long way to go and here she is in the lead we still have a long way to go and Lydia co could tie the lead and Lydia still right there just one shot back she tries to add to the ninth Lydia Co on the T just a couple bunkers out there to worry about Lydia threading between them I saw that one bunker catch Lilia Buu out yesterday where we didn't think it her t-shot found it and that's what these bunkers around the that's just going to be tap in at the ninth this is the birdie part for Co let tie the lead Mak it a four-way tie here in the final round of the AIG Women's Open and it's just going to be a PA for Lydia but she is going to go out in 35 eight PA and after driving it so many of them drove that ninth earlier in the week different kind of a day different wind direction Lydia Co same story in contention won the goal two weeks ago top 10 last week on the west coast of Scotland okay one back here left of the Fairway I mean it's just players but not today with that change in the wind direction let's go to 10 and the second for Lydia Co you said this grass is manageable yeah it's not the best angle over here awkward wi down off the left oh very manageable for Lydia and she's going to have that to get to six under and within one brilliantly the first two days and again out here today Lydia Co to get one closer oh this is just setting up to be something Unforgettable at the home of golf the old course at St Andrews some of the greatest keep you a breast of those as the day goes along to the 11th the par three and Lydia Co on the T playing easier today than it has done over the first few days remember on day one there wasn't a single Birdie on this par three and it was only playing 148 yards 155 today some really strong gusts whipping across to the 11th a man over's in the bunker short so she's got a long PT for a par Lydia has this for birdie reminder of course top of the hour will'll be heading to NBC for the conclusion and it's going to be a wild finish here amazing how slow is this pot right here here yeah straight back into the wind with that slope on the right hand side on eight now 10 to 12 Lydia Co now two back something we've seen her do a lot this really low T wow with that Tracer look how low that was that'll be okay over there on the right side tough Fairway to hit bunka and we'll go to the 13th this hole playing really difficult today Lydia Co on the T bit of a change in the wind direction coming out of the South very strong gusts this afternoon once you really get to that 11th T Tom that's when the golf course starts to change the back nine playing two strokes overp par Two Strokes hard second at the 13th there kind of a blind second shot here over that Bang I don't know how kind of a blind it is it is a completely blind shot the hardest hole on the golf course today playing over a half stroke over par lyia Co for the birdie here to get to Seven under within one of the lead did she hit it Lydia trying to be the player that sets that Target in the clubhouse R of the gold medal and uh it was a bold move to go back Lydia Co CAU it courageous to be able to go back and make that decision Lydia now up the tea of 14 yeah two shots behind Nelly Corda won the Olympic gold medal could her fairy tale continue here by winning AIG women's open at the old course at St Andrews games in it is just brutal and at the 14 the second for Lydia Co little bit of an UPS slope it looks like driver off the deck just make sure you catch it solidly to get over hell bunker what a shot mhm keep it under the wind you have to have such a level swing path in order to accomplish that chilly breezy day blustery on the east coast of Scotland lyd is third at the 14th trying to make the most of that driver off the deck a little lowlighted wedge whole location on a plateau here and this is one of only two par fives on the golf course but not a birdie hole today playing over par came here as a teenager as an AM in 2013 she was tied with Georgia Hall she won the Smith salare as the low amiter that year now trying for the day that you'd like to try and get on to the old course and they also have a singles draw as well if you're just on your own trying to slot in to another group let's go to the 14th and Lydia to get within one oh could it be could it be for Lydia you just get a sense of calmness from her and I talked to caddy Paul coming into this week he said she's had really good calm preparation same thing that she had in Paris which surprised him considering everything that was on this week she is alone in seventh Lydia Co on the tea coming up that birdie at the 14th not quite off the deck but oh she likes to tea at she's done that a lot this season but I still think she had she stayed would have joined this woman at some point in the LPGA Hall of Fame Lydia Co in the bunker at the 15th yeah did well there [Applause] and that front left bunker there's a B for Nelly Corda if she could get it another important part here this is Lydia Co for par and that misses so that's going to be a bogus she's going to fall back to six under they can't afford to be sloppy trying to win a major champion ship and suddenly Lydia Co is tied for the lead at the 16th out of bounds right and the wispy grass left there's a lot of space around that just collects the balls into the bunkers Lydia Co second shot at 16 tied at the top really needs to light this one down here s looking like it ballooned in the air uhoh the bunker it's only getting tougher and still anyone's trophy to claim and that doesn't look great that'll be to tie the lead at the 16th the third at the par four for Lydia best short game ever maybe that is just some real short game magic right there what an HP of these greens will slow them down a touch Lydia a great pitch shot this to pay it off for par more short game magic from the newest member of the LPGA Hall of Fame it's a point Point space system she clinched it with that Olympic gold bouncing back made double bogey there yesterday lost her lead but now she's back tied for first 17 each day Lydia Co teed it up on the right side of the tea box and tried to hit a little left to [Music] right and she likes it right over the middle of that old course Hotel print on the side of the building there you pick a letter and Trust the line and she went right over the middle of it there a cell here it comes 17 second shot for Lydia Co this is uh one of the hardest shots on the golf course you don't want to be playing it in the driving rain but Lydia's got no choice here needs to hit a good one trying to really hold that one up against the wind it's got to go a little bit it's got to go a little bit yes it's it's going to stay there that's some shot in those conditions it's the shot in the driving rain but ly has got no choice here needs to hit a good one trying to really hold that one up against the winds it's got to go a little bit it's got to go a little bit yes it's going to stay there that's some shot in those to take the lead in the AIG Women's Open we saw that fabulous shot yesterday in here from G Shin this this pretty Spectacular from Lydia this would just be huge feel like it you just feel like this is her season has been so poetic especially after Paris that Victory gold medal could it be here as [Applause] [Applause] well no never really got started online so that's going to be a four and she will remain tied for the lead but trying to set that had some rain but the wind wasn't as strong now Co just needs to clean this one up and she does so that'll be a short walk over to the 18th Lydia Co trying to be crowned a champion at St Andrews we've had some play really well in big moments remember Lydia Co was a 15-year-old amateur when she won for the first time on the LPGA Tour and in that final round in Canada she played with G Shin who was already a major champion and she's looked up to GA and how many have looked up to Lydia tied for the lead a chance with the birdie to post seven under and this hole plays right into her strength of her wedge game the widest Fairways you will ever find here just about putting it in [Applause] [Music] position right so Lydia Co out in front of the other leaders as the rain Contin she played here in 2013 as an Amer and crosses the swilken bridge here perhaps just moments away from winning the AIG women's open a Phenom as a teenager won 14 of her first 81 starts on the LPGA Tour then it's a couple of career dips rallied in 2022 to win three times one player of the year won the Vera trophy put her on the doorstep of the lpga's points based final major of the year now just a bit of sunshine trying to break through the clouds brightening just a touch as Lydia Gets Ready tied for the lead second shot here at 18 if you wanted someone to hit a great wedge shot would you pick anyone other than Lydia now right here choking well up on on this trying to control the trajectory and the spin Hall of Fame touch from Lydia Cohen maybe just maybe her third major championship and her first since 2016 when she was a dominant number one and you talked about everything that she's been through it's really impressive she said one of the most important things for her are the lows that she's overcome mentally but a birdie putt coming up for Lilia you see uh different eras here on tour you got GH in the former number one pass great Lydia just having achieved the LGA Hall of Fame you see Alexa Pano playing with and maybe an ol of sport in this 18th at the old course at St Andrews and this Phenom who became a legend now has this putt to take the lead she always exudes that sense of calmness but you'd have to think she's anything but calm internally right now even a player who's accomplished as much as Lydia is heart's beating a little bit faster than normal on this pot breaking a little bit to her right slightly down the hill Lydia leads by one Hollywood couldn't write a script any [Applause] better Sunday 69 and now she'll watch and wait and what a clutch stroke here I mean going back to last year in Portland when she said she missed the cut couldn't even taste her dinner because she was in tears with her sister thinking will I ever win again and what she's already accomplished this season alone finally spot in the Hall of Fame said coming into the week asked if she wanted to retire if she was about ready to retire she was no I want to win more Majors that's her big goal and she wow in the clubhouse here at seven could it be enough and her caddy is a Scott Paul cormick he won with Anna nordquist at carti up the coast well this becomes so important now for Nelly she makes this she can Birdie the last and tie Lydia she misses she's going to have to pull off a miracle on 18 and put her name down in history he's going to move from the right keep the speed up keep the speed up Nelly and it is going to be a drop shot and cord will be twoo behind she needs to Eagle the 18th hole it's possible well but that would have made the task tough road hold and then the short 18th we've watched her grow up Morgan but the path to the Hall of Fame was not linear some potholes in there but at the very top she might well be at the top come Days End nobody's ever need to do something special at the 18th Lydia special 69 today she leads by [Music] one Lydia is uh just going to hit a few pots on the P yeah and I mean Nell's in a place where all she does is want to a putt for birdie at 17 Lydia has been here before she seen every kind of situation she's going to stroke a few putts here you're preparing aren't you you're preparing for extra golf yeah I like this you keep mentally focused you stay warm you keep I mean you it's not going to take too long before she's going to know the answer one way or the other and you want to stay mentally in the game here early part of her LPGA career the youngest champion of the AIG women's open since it became a major was G Shin when she won in 2008 20 years of age she has left that as the Falcon is there Lydia chatting away with the Handler doesn't look nervous no then who's more nervous it's a nice way to take your mind off the moment actually okay back to business I in it's I remember playing Lydia in a playoff in San Francisco and I was so ner there uh an interested spectator looks on and Lydia just staying in the moment staying in the present may need some more golf as a vital well that is the stroke of a champion the very best Putters in the world a proven winner won two majors last year Lydia did what she does best wedg that second shot at 18 in their tight made birdie this is everything we hop for it has been a phenomenal Sunday almost feels like the clouds have parted just in time for this final pair to make their way down the 18th hole and we've had a little bit of everything today we've had some fantastic golf we've had some Dr not enough and the fairy tale just won't end a gold medal in Paris a silver trophy at St Andrews Lydia Co wins the AIG women's open at the old [Applause] course not really the Ovation just because of the the respect for the competitors on the 18th but it will swell here shortly but what a season with her sister sah I mean just what a season for Lydia Co she came into this week saying I don't really love Link's golf I've never really had a great finish here I've struggled and In This Moment On the most iconic course in the game fresh off her Hall of Fame victory in Paris Andrea Lee is going to make the US solheim Cup team Brook Henderson battle Lydia through the years and this was the putt the sun came out just in time for Lydia Co to drop in the go-ahead birdie meant to be wasn't it she said that it almost felt too good to be true what happened in Paris I'd say this doubles down on that one just a spectacular moment here what a week she just hung tough we kept seeing her name a little bit behind on the leaderboard but never too far out of reach all week just staying barely within Striking Distance made her move today coming down the stretch in the toughest of the conditions came here as a kid 16-year-old Amer she had already won on the LPGA Tour but now married woman of 27 and a three-time major winner she won two majors early in her career she beat your record Morgan youngest to ever win a major championship won the next year as well eight long years and once again a major ch