WEST CALDWELL, NEW JERSEY | This one was over early. And by early, we mean Thursday. Four days after Jin Young Ko failed to close out a final-round lead in the ShopRite LPGA Classic, the former No. 1 player in the Rolex Rankings fired a 63 at Mountain Ridge in the first round of the Cognizant Founders Cup, an extraordinary score on a course many regarded as major-championship caliber.
Ko, who could not overtake Nelly Korda last week as the No. 1 player in the world, whittled into the Rolex Rankings lead by following up her first round with scores of 68 and 69 to take a four-shot lead into a rainy New Jersey Sunday. That lead expanded to five through the first nine holes of the final round. The only crack came when she flared a short iron into the greenside bunker on the par-5 ninth hole. She then hit an uninspiring sand shot. But she rolled in the 18-footer for par like it was nothing.
By lunchtime on Sunday, the only questions left were who would finish second and whether Ko would tie the record for most consecutive rounds in the 60s, at 14.
The first answer came midway through the final round when Caroline Masson birdied seven out of 13 holes beginning on the sixth. The German had the round of the day on Sunday, firing a bogey-free 64 to finish alone in second at 14-under par, four shots shy of Ko who cruised home with a 5-under par 66 to win wire to wire.
In so doing, Ko tied Annika Sörenstam and So Yeon Ryu as the only players in LPGA Tour history with those 14 consecutive sub-70 rounds.
“I am so honored to tie that record,” Ko said immediately after holing out for par on the final green.
To her credit, the 66 was probably better than the 63. After an otherwise beautiful week (although there were fog delays on Thursday and Friday), the weather went full Northeastern fall on Sunday with rain peppering Mountain Ridge Country Club all day and temperatures peaking in the low 60s. Add in conditions in the rough and green speeds that would make the USGA and PGA of America nod and smile, and Ko’s scoring would suggest to a casual observer that she isn’t far from regaining the top spot in the world.
“I was sad not to win last week,” Ko said. “But I came here and said that I would try to do my best and I did. I am very happy.”
Steve Eubanks