Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko has faded in her final round at the Scottish Open on Monday (NZ time) to finish in a tie for fifth place at the Dundonald Links course at Ayrshire.
After consecutive bogey-free rounds, Ko was well poised to contest for the title, leading after the second round and holding a one-shot share of first place alongside France's Celine Bouitier at 16-under overall at the end of the third.
But the world No. 4 couldn't capitalise in her fourth round, with three bogeys proving fatal to her cause. She ended her tournament at 16-under in a two-way tie with American Alison Lee - five shots behind winner Ayaka Furue of Japan.
Rookie Furue captured her first LPGA title, after carding a course-record 10-under-par 62 in the final round.
Furue, 22, recorded 10 birdies - including a string of six in a row starting on the sixth hole - to claim a three-stroke win.
"I had the right mindset," Furue told Golf Channel. "I thought I had to go low and I played very well.
"I hit good shots. All around my game was good, and the birdie putts I wanted to make and had to make, I was able to make."
Furue sank a 40-foot putt for birdie at the par-three 15th hole to take her first lead. She added birdies on her final two holes to join Thailand's Atthaya Thitikul (JTBC Classic) as the second LPGA Tour rookie to win a tournament this year.
Boutier (69) collected seven birdies against four bogeys to finish in second place. She was bidding for her third LPGA victory and first since winning last year's ShopRite LPGA Classic.
South Korean Hyo Joo Kim (66) and Cheyenne Knight (67) finished in a tie for third place.
Defending champion Ryann O'Toole (65) finished in a tie for 15th place with China's Xiyu Lin (70).
Reuters/Newshub.
