Golf: Kiwi Lydia Ko's title drought continues after crumbling at Marathon Classic

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko's two-year title drought has continued, after she blew a five-shot lead with six holes to play to finish tied for second at the Marathon Classic in Ohio. 

Ko appeared to be cruising to victory, before hitting two late bogeys and double-bogeying the final hole to finish one shot behind American winner Danielle Kang.

Her last tournament victory was the Mediheal Championship in April 2018, 833 days ago. 

The 23-year-old Kiwi led for most of the tournament and started the final round with a four-shot lead.

Birdies on the third and seventh holes gave Ko a five-shot cushion into the back-nine.

Kang got within four on the 13th and then birdied the 14th, which Ko bogeyed. 

Ko bogeyed the 16th and Kang sat one shot behind with two holes remaining. 

On the final hole, Ko truly crumbled, as she hit the footpath with her tee shot, before a poor chip from the rough ended in the bunker. She double-bogeyed, as Kang held her nerve for a par to secure victory.

Ko finished the round with a two-over 73, finishing in a tie with England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff.

Lydia Ko.
Lydia Ko. Photo credit: Getty

Kang was surprised with her win and credited her caddie for keeping her eye on the prize. 

"To be honest, when I was five down, that three putt [on the 12th] bothered me," she says. "My caddie looked at me and said 'you're still right in it', and I said 'I'm five down, I'm five back'.

"He said 'there's six holes to go and you're five down', and I kind of liked that mentality.

"I kind of went into a matchplay mode mentality for that one, definitely made some good birdies coming in and kept it together."