OK, golf fans, buckle up! The FM Championship is turning into a thriller, and the leading lady is none other than Jin Young Ko.
The Korean star and former World No. 1 is back in familiar territoryโat the top of the leaderboardโand looking every bit like the champion she is.
With 15 LPGA Tour wins under her belt, Ko has her sights set on making it 16 at TPC Boston.
Sheโs heading into Sundayโs final round with a two-shot lead, and letโs be honest: if anyone knows how to protect a lead, itโs her.
Out of the 12 times sheโs led going into the final round, sheโs won nine of them. Thatโs a 75% success rate, folksโpretty much a slam dunk in golf terms.
“I’m trying to be a very competitive person; that’s why if I get in the leader, I think itโs good motivate to me,” Ko said, with the kind of laser-focused mindset that separates champions from the rest.
“This golf course is not easy, so I think I need to focus on myself and just keep saying, ‘You can do it, you got this.’ Looking forward to tomorrow.”
And why wouldnโt she be? Ko has been on fire at the FM Championship, shooting back-to-back rounds of 67 to sit at 11-under for the tournament.
Her Saturday round was a lesson in precision, starting with birdies on the 1st and 2nd holes, and then adding two more on 6 and 9 to make the turn at 32.
Things got a little dicey with a bogey on the par-4 15th, but Ko shrugged it off like it was just a bad hair day, closing with birdies on 17 and 18. Thatโs how you slam the door on the competition.
Putting Clinic at TPC Boston
Koโs secret weapon? The flat stick. She needed just 26 putts to get around the course on Saturday, and she was one-putting greens like she had a remote control in her handโ10 of them, to be exact.
Her final two birdies were pure gold, dropping bombs from 18 and 15 feet. Even when she missed the greens on holes 3 and 4, she wasnโt rattled.
A quick pitch to tap-in range on both meant no harm, no foul. She keeps saying this course โisnโt easy,โ but sheโs making it look like her personal playground.
“This golf course, I mean, the first round I felt like so easy, but I hit just 1-under,” Ko laughed.
“Yesterday and today I felt, โOh, itโs not easy, this golf course,โ but I made a lot of birdies. So who knows.
Golf is really, really hard. I saw Lydiaโs interview at AIG Women’s Open. She said sometimes she doesn’t want to look at her golf clubs, and sometimes she could kiss her putter. I feel the same way.”
Chasing the Champion
But donโt hand Ko the trophy just yet. Thereโs a pack of hungry contenders whoโd love to spoil her party. Lauren Coughlin, whoโs been riding a wave of confidence, sits just two shots back at 9-under after three straight rounds of 69.
Sheโs the only player in the field to keep it in the 60s all three daysโtalk about consistency.
She won her first LPGA title this summer and then followed it up with another one just a few weeks later. If she keeps this streak up, she might make it three in no time.
A trio of talented playersโmajor champion Allisen Corpuz, three-time winner Jeeno Thitikul, and Spainโs Carlota Cigandaโare all just a shot behind Coughlin at 8-under.
Any one of them could catch fire and make a run for it. Meanwhile, Haeran Ryu, who lit up the course on Friday with a ridiculous 10-under 62, came back to earth with a 6-over 78 on Saturday. Golf giveth, and golf taketh away.
And donโt sleep on local hero Megan Khang. The Massachusetts native had the crowds on her side and a solid showing with Lexi Thompson on Saturday, but sheโll need a bit of magic on Sunday, sitting at 4-under, tied for 13th.
Sunday Showdown at FM Championship
So here we are, folksโChampionship Sunday at the FM Championship, and it’s anyoneโs game. Jin Young Ko might have the lead, but thereโs a line of players ready to make their move.
Will Ko keep her cool and add another trophy to her already impressive collection, or will one of the chasers step up and steal the spotlight?
One thingโs for sure: itโs going to be a heck of a finish at TPC Boston. Grab your remote, maybe a cold beverage, and settle inโthis is going to be fun to watch.
