Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko has finished in a five-way tie for third place at the Evian Championship in France.
After starting the day tied for 11th at the Major she won back in 2015, Ko fired a sparkling five-under par final round of 66 - including five birdies - to draw within two shots of winner Brooke Henderson from Canada.
Ko, 25, shared third place with Korean Kim Hyo-Joo, Spaniard Carlota Ciganda, Japanese Mao Saigo and Charley Hull of England, finishing at 15-under overall for the tournament, behind Henderson (17-under) and American Sophia Schubert (16-under).
The win sees her pocket a prize purse of US$283,420 (NZ$453,145).
World No. 4 Ko shot birdies at the ninth, 11th and 15th holes, before closing with consecutive birdies on the 17th and 18th.
Since Ko's second Major triumph in 2016, she's now recorded five second or third place finishes.
Henderson captured her second Major title by sinking an eight-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to record a one-stroke win in dramatic fashion at Evian-les-Bains.
She stumbled out of the blocks with a bogey on the first hole and a double-bogey on No. 6. She rebounded with a birdie on the seventh hole and overcame a bogey on No. 11 to notch a birdie on three of her final five holes.
The 24-year-old was doused in champagne on the 18th green after carding an even-par 71.
"To be sitting here a two-time Major championship is just an unreal feeling," Henderson said.
"My coach, my dad, and my mom's support, and of course Brit (Henderson, her sister and caddie) who's out there all the time with me, it's just amazing, and it's going to be really cool when we can all celebrate together."
Ko's podium capped an excellent day for NZ golf, after Steven Alker recorded his own third-place finish at the Senior British Open at Gleneagles, Scotland.
Starting the day one shot behind the leaders, Alker, 50, could only manage an even-par 70 in his final round to finish eight-under overall at the Major, as he was unable to repeat his historic win at the Senior PGA Championship back in May.
Alker's round included two birdies and two bogeys to finish two shots off winner Darren Clarke from England in a five-way tie with Argentina's Mauricio Molina, American goug Barron, South Africa Ernie Els and Englishman Paul Broadhurst.
Reuters/Newshub.
