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You won't believe where Lydia Ko's golf ball wound up during her playoff loss to Nelly Korda

January 29, 2024
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Han Myung-Gu

Lost amid the NFL's Championship Sunday was a pretty crazy finish on the LPGA Tour between two golfers who are no strangers to lifting big trophies themselves. Lydia Ko looked like she had swiped the Drive On Championship from Nelly Korda with a late eagle before Nelly finished eagle-birdie to force a playoff. Then things got even nuttier.

Let's preface this playoff by saying that with a win, Ko would get the one point needed to earn LPGA Hall-of-Fame status with 27 points. This after she earned her 26th point the previous week with her 20th career LPGA win at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. OK, got all that? Good.

So with Ko that close to making history, the LPGA went ahead and got prepared for a potential special celebration by bringing out a bouquet of 27 roses (Get it?!) and some bottles of bubbly. They tried to hide all this near a grandstand, but take a wild guess where Lydia's wild approach shot on the first playoff hole landed. Yep. Have a look:

What are the odds?! Just an incredible photo right there captured by Golfweek's Beth Ann Nichols.

Despite being in that unfortunate spot, Ko was able to extend the playoff. But she lost to Korda with a three-putt on the following hole, meaning that champagne was kept on ice. Brutal.

So Ko will have to wait a bit for that Hall of Fame party—especially with the LPGA entering a three-week break. In the meantime, if you don't believe in the existence of golf gods, this should change your mind.