Lydia Ko fired on the final day of the CP Women’s Open in Canada to fall just shy of her 18th career LPGA Tour title and fourth Canadian Open.
 
The Kiwi world number four shot 69, 68, and 67 to sit nine under in 11th place after the first three rounds. Ko knew she needed to go low in this morning’s final round if she was to lift the trophy she’s held three times before. Although she played her part by making ten birdies to shoot eight-under on the final day, South Africa’s Paula Reto did enough to hold off the fast finishers to win by one over Nelly Korda and Hye-Jin Choi.
 
Ko started with a bogey at the first but birdied the third, fifth, and sixth holes before recording her second bogey at the seventh. She bounced back with a birdie at the eighth and made the turn in a couple under.
 
The back nine is where she caught fire and applied pressure on the leaders.
 
The 25-year-old made birdies on the tenth, 13th, and four consecutive birdies to finish, recording a closing nine of six-under 29 to post the equal low round on the final day alongside Sei Young Kim and Alison Lee.
 
She hit ten out of 13 fairways, 15 greens in regulation, needed only 27 putts and birdied every par 3 in her blistering final round.
 
Ko moves into third in the Race to CME Globe standings.
 
Elsewhere, Steve Alker has finished inside the top ten at the Ally Challenge on the Champions Tour.
 
Alker, 51, shot 68, 68, and a final round 70 to finish ten under par in a tie for ninth, five shots behind the champion Steve Stricker.
 
His final round scorecard was not quite as colourful as Ko’s, as he made three birdies and a single bogey.
 
It’s his 12th top ten of the year, and he remains in the top spot in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup standings.
 
On the Epson Tour, Amelia Garvey has recorded her second top ten of the year, finishing in equal tenth at nine under par at the Circling Raven Championship.
 
The Canterbury rookie professional shot 70, 67, and 70, finishing nine shots behind Jillian Hollis.
 
Garvey made five birdies in her opening ten holes, and at the time, she was within a couple of shots of the lead. Unfortunately, she made three bogeys coming home.
She moves up four places in the Race for the Card standings into 33rd. Fellow Kiwi Julianne Alvarez missed the cut.
 
Both Momoka Kobori and Hanee Song played on the Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS) in Sweden this week.
 
Only a shot separated the pair, with Kobori finishing at two over after rounds of 73, 69, and 76 while Song shot 76, 70, and 73.
 
They finished at two over and three over at the Goteburg Open, respectively.
 
Finally, Michael Long finished 61st at the Staysure PGA Seniors at 12 over.