Haeran Ryu topped Jin Young Ko in an all-South Korean playoff to win the inaugural FM Championship on Sunday in Norton, Mass.
Ryu, 23, shot an 8-under-par 64 on Sunday to jump from sixth place into the playoff, which she won with a birdie at No. 18. She and Ko both finished 72 holes at 15-under 273.
The final-round 64 was an enormous turnaround for Ryu, who shot 78 on Saturday.
Ko, 29, held a two-stroke lead entering the final round, when she carded a 68. She made a par on the playoff hole.
The victory, worth $570,000, was the second in LPGA Tour play for Ryu, the 2023 Rookie of the Year who also captured the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. The result will see her rise into the top five in the season-long Race to the CME Globe.
“(The) second win is too hard for me because this year I got many chances before, but I miss it a couple times before,” Ryu said. “But today, I don’t want to miss again. I was so nervous at the playoff, but maybe Jin Young Ko is same as me.
“I think just thank for God, and yeah, I can’t believe it here now.”
Ryu made her move from the start on Sunday, birdieing each of her first four holes. She added five more birdies before making her lone bogey of the day at the par-3 16th hole. Ryu carded pars on the 17th and 18th holes in regulation.
“My caddie and my other teammates said to me (Saturday), ‘Just for today it’s bad, and tomorrow it all comes through. Just trust yourself,'” she said. “Yesterday after the round (I was) practicing … my shots and my putter, so (I) just (solved) the problems. So today is really good at the start. I made some amazing (shots).”
Ko also began the day hot, registering eagles on the par-5 second hole and the par-4 fourth hole. However, she played the remainder of the round in even par, with two birdies and two bogeys.
“I played really, really good this week,” Ko said. “Unfortunately just the last shot wasn’t good and I lose. But overall, I played really solid, and congrats to Hae Ran. Maybe next time I will have a chance to win maybe.”
China’s Ruixin Liu came in third place at 14 under after carding a 64 on Sunday.
Allisen Corpuz and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul both shot a final-round 67 to share fourth place at 13 under.
Jennifer Kupcho (65 on Sunday), Norway’s Celine Borge (63) and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn (65) tied for sixth place at 11 under.
Sarah Schmelzel (67), Lauren Coughlin (72), Australia’s Hannah Green (67), Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux (67) and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (71) all wound up at 9 under, tied for 10th place.
–Field Level Media
