You’ve probably seen the highlight reel by now. Lydia Ko, standing on the 18th green at St Andrews, rain lashing down, ear muffs on, looking more like someone waiting for a bus in Wellington than a golfer about to win a major. But that’s the thing about the AIG Women's Open 2024. It wasn't just a golf tournament. It was a three-week fever dream that ended with the most decorated golfer in Olympic history proving that the "Old Course" still has a few tricks up its sleeve for the world's best.
Honestly, the narrative leading into Sunday was all about Nelly Korda’s dominance or Jiyai Shin’s legendary status. Most people figured Lydia was just happy to be there after her gold medal in Paris. They were wrong.
The Logjam at the Home of Golf
Sunday at St Andrews was, basically, a mess. And I mean that in the best way possible. We had a leaderboard that looked like a "Who’s Who" of Hall of Famers. At one point on the back nine, you had four different women—all former or current World No. 1s—tied for the lead. It was a logjam. Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, Jiyai Shin, and Ko were all staring down a six-under-par total while the Scottish weather decided to turn from "unpleasant" to "downright spiteful."
📖 Related: What Was the Cowboys Score Tonight: Why Dallas is Missing from the Playoff Picture
The wind wasn't just blowing; it was gusting so hard that Ko later admitted she just had to laugh. You hit a shot, you watch it do something impossible, and you just chuckle because what else can you do? That’s links golf. If you fight it, you lose. Lydia didn't fight it. She sort of just danced with it.
Why St Andrews Changed Everything
Most experts will tell you that the AIG Women's Open 2024 was won on the 17th hole, the infamous Road Hole. They aren't lying. While everyone else was bleeding bogeys, Ko hit a 3-wood into a fierce headwind that somehow found the green. It was a "pro’s pro" shot.
- The Lead: Jiyai Shin started the day with a three-shot cushion.
- The Collapse: Nelly Korda surged to eight-under before a disastrous double-bogey on the 14th.
- The Climax: Ko finished with a three-under 69, punctuated by a birdie on 18 that felt like a statement.
The "Cinderella Story" Nobody Expected
It’s weird to call a former child prodigy and multi-major winner a "Cinderella story," but that’s exactly how Ko described it. Think about the timeline. Two weeks prior, she’s in Paris, winning gold, finally punching her ticket to the LPGA Hall of Fame. Most athletes would have been on a flight to a beach somewhere, cocktail in hand. Instead, she’s at the AIG Women's Open 2024, grinding through horizontal rain.
Her win at St Andrews ended an eight-year major drought. Eight years! In golf terms, that’s an eternity. Her last major was the 2016 Chevron Championship. Since then, she’s changed coaches, changed caddies, and probably changed her mindset a dozen times. To win your third major at the "Home of Golf" right after Olympic gold? That’s not just a good month; that’s a career-defining legacy.
🔗 Read more: Va Tech vs Miami: Why the Hail Mary Controversy Changed Everything
The Stats That Actually Mattered
Forget the driving distance for a second. At the AIG Women's Open 2024, it was all about bogey avoidance. Ko was T1 in that category. She only gave up six bogeys the entire week. On Sunday, she only had one. One! In those conditions, that’s borderline miraculous.
She hit 81% of greens in regulation over the four days. When you consider that the wind was moving the ball three clubs' worth on some holes, that's just insane precision. While Nelly Korda was aggressive and Lilia Vu was steady, Ko was surgical. She waited for the leaders to blink, and boy, did they blink. Lilia Vu’s three-putt on the 18th was the final nail, handing Ko a two-shot victory and a $1,425,000 paycheck.
Common Misconceptions About the 2024 Result
One thing people get wrong is thinking Ko "stole" this win. She didn't. She was the only player in the field to post four sub-par rounds. Think about that. While the rest of the world was surviving, she was actually scoring.
Another myth is that the course was "too easy" early on. Tell that to the players who were struggling to keep their balls on the planet during Thursday and Friday's gusts. The R&A actually had to be careful with green speeds because if they were too fast, the wind would literally blow the balls off the putting surfaces.
What’s Next for the Champion?
Lydia's been pretty open about not knowing when she’ll retire. But winning the AIG Women's Open 2024 has changed the conversation. She’s now a three-time major champion. She has the gold, the silver, and the bronze. She’s in the Hall of Fame.
If you're looking to follow in her footsteps or just improve your own game after watching that masterclass, here is how you can actually apply the "Ko Method" to your next round:
✨ Don't miss: Cronología de Kairat contra Real Madrid: Lo que realmente pasó en la pista
- Master the low flight: Ko's 17th hole approach was a lesson in keeping the ball under the wind. Practice your "stinger" shots.
- Embrace the chaos: When the weather turns, stop worrying about your score and start worrying about your "bogey avoidance."
- Stay patient: Ko didn't lead until the very end. Sometimes the best strategy is just staying in the zip code of the lead until the 72nd hole.
Keep an eye on the 2025 schedule, as the momentum from this "Golden Summer" is likely to carry Ko into another dominant season. For now, she’s earned the right to wear those ear muffs and celebrate one of the greatest stretches in the history of the sport.