It almost felt like the 50th anniversary of the ANA Inspiration had two champions. While Patty Tavatanakit put on a remarkable display of power, finesse and poise to win the title, Lydia Ko put together the lowest final round in LPGA major championship history, a 10-under 62.
A “Hello World” moment from the Tiger-inspired Tavatanakit juxtaposed with a resurrection round from Ko, a one-time prodigy who at 23 years old looked to end a three-year victory drought three hours after Jordan Spieth did the same in Texas.
The unflappable Tavatanakit ultimately went wire-to-wire to win by two after a closing 68, becoming the first rookie to win the ANA since Juli Inkster in 1984.
Ko began the round birdie-eagle and then notched four more birdies to post the first 29 in ANA history. She was 9 under through 11 holes and within two shots of the lead after starting the day eight shots behind Tavatanakit.
Another birdie on the 15th made all kinds of history well within Ko’s grasp. Given that this is a player who rewrote ever youngest-to-ever record in golf history, anything seemed possible.
Even a 59.
10-under thru 15
There is no stopping Lydia Ko
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— LPGA (@LPGA) April 4, 2021
When Ko stepped to the reachable par-5 18th tee, the most iconic hole on the LPGA, an eagle would’ve given her a 12-under 60, the lowest round in major championship history – male or female. A birdie would’ve tied her with Hyo Joo Kim’s major record of 61. A par tied the tournament record of 62 set by Lorena Ochoa.
Ko’s drive sailed left off the tee into a flock of birds, leaving those at home no choice but to hold their breath as she bypassed a cluster of palms and came entirely too close to the water.
After a layup, Ko hit a wedge from just under 100 yards to 22 feet. The birdie putt slid by and Ko’s chances at winning the tournament seemingly went with it. Her bogey-free 62, however, is the lowest final round in LPGA major history, besting her own record of 63 (2015 Evian Championship) and shared by Mary Beth Zimmermann, 1997 ANA Inspiration and Sei Young Kim, 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
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“No, 59 did not come across my mind,” said Ko. “Maybe if I was like Annika, it would have come across my mind, I don’t know.”
Tavatanakit said she didn’t have a clue what Ko was up to ahead of her, not looking at a leaderboard all day. The fact that there were no fans on the course made that possible. Ko would’ve had the place rocking.
Where does a round like this take the humble Ko?
So few stars find a way to re-build themselves to a level of domination after so long a drought. But then again, Ko is unlike any other player who has come before her.
Time and again she credits her work with Sean Foley, as much for how he helps her mentally as anything else. Earlier in the week, Foley told her she needed to have 100 percent conviction over every shot, correcting Ko’s use of the word commitment.
“I think the area that Sean has really helped me is to sometimes call me and he’ll say a few things and I’ll be like, ‘Whoa, that was way too much.’ Not like technical stuff, but he kind of gives me like a word slap, like wake up, and I think that’s what we all need at some point,” said Ko. “Sometimes you just get in the way of your way.
Lydia Ko walks to the 18th green on Sunday, April 4, 2021, at ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. (Photo: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun)
“I know that sometimes I get in the way of myself, and at the end of the day all I can do is – it’s me against the golf course, and sometimes the me part is the really hard thing to get over. He’s been really helpful to clear those questions and kind of build the confidence in me.”
As Ko fielded questions after her record round, she kept an eye on the 18th green. When Tavatanakit clinched the title, Ko broke into a smile and started to clap.
Champions in every sense of the word.