Lydia Ko won the Kia Classic Sunday at Aviara, reaffirming her position as the top player in the world heading into the first major championship of the season. Ko birdied the final three holes for her third straight 5-under 67 and a four-stroke victory over second-ranked Inbee Park. "I just kind of peeked at the leaderboard and saw Inbee was making a lot of birdies — Inbee doing her Inbee things," Ko said. "I knew that I needed to focus up until the last moment and fortunately I made some birdies down the stretch." A week after finishing second in Phoenix in the Founders Cup, the 18-year-old New Zealander headed to Rancho Mirage for the ANA Inspiration with her first LPGA Tour victory of the year and 11th overall. She also won the Ladies European Tour's New Zealand Women's Open in February. "All the work we've put in as a team kind of paid off," Ko said. "A really happy moment, but I have to focus for next week. I'm really excited to go back to ANA." She tied for 51st last year at ANA. Ko finished Sunday at 19-under 269. Park closed with a 67. The 2013 winner at Rancho Mirage, the South Korean player appears to be over the back problem that forced her to withdraw from the first event of the season. Playing two groups ahead of Ko, Park pulled within two shots with birdies on the par-4 16th and par-5 17th. Ko pushed the lead back to two with a birdie on the short par-4 16th, holing a 10-foot putt after driving the green and racing her first putt past the hole. Ko made an 8-foot birdie putt on 17, and finished with a 15-footer on 18. She bogeyed the par-5 10th after double-hitting a putt from the fringe. The ball popped out of a pitch mark and caught her club in the follow-through, costing her a one-stroke penalty. Japan's Ai Miyazato was third at 12 under after a 66. The nine-time LPGA Tour winner had her first top-10 finish since 2013. South Koreans Sung Hyun Park and Jenny Shin each shot 72 to tie for fourth at 11 under. Sung Hyun Park received a sponsor exemption. Brittany Lang closed with a bogey on 17 and a double bogey on 18 — hitting into the water twice — for a 74 that dropped her into a tie for 10th at 9 under. Finau wins on third playoff hole In Los Angeles, Tony Finau defeated fellow American Steve Marino with a birdie on the third extra hole to capture the Puerto Rico Open and claim his first USPGA Tour title Sunday. The 26-year-old Finau was making his 46th start on the Tour and first appearance in a playoff. Under cloudy skies with gusty winds, Finau and Marino made clutch birdies on the first two extra holes at the par-five No. 18 to send the pair back to the 18th tee for the third extra hole. Marino was unable to match Finau's third straight playoff birdie. They both shot two-under 70 to finish at 12-under 276 in regulation. Ian Poulter, who led after 54 holes, closed with an even-par 72 to finish in a tie for third with Rodolfo Cazaubon of Mexico. Puerto Rico native Rafa Campos posted back-to-back scores of even-par 72 on the weekend to finish in a tie for eighth. Defending champion Alex Cejka of Germany fired a 71 to reach eight under overall, four shots back of the leaders. — Agencies
