The Freedom 55 Financial Championship is the final of 12 events on the 2015 Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada schedule. There have been five events in as many weeks to close out the race to finish in The Five and earn status on the Web.com Tour for 2016.

The top 60 players on the Order of Merit through the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial make the field and retain exempt status on the Mackenzie Tour for the 2015 season.

The 2015 event begins at a new home, with the Stanley Thompson-designed Highland Country Club in London, Ont., hosting the season finale.

For more on how the Freedom 55 Financial Championship can play out, read the full article here.

The Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC) is the official charitable beneficiary of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship. Fifty-five per cent of ticket proceeds will go towards the wide range of services provided to more than 8000 children, youth and their families through the organization’s London Centre and its 15 regional office locations across Southwestern Ontario. Clients range in age from birth to 19 with services supporting a range of special needs including physical disabilities, communication disorders, developmental delays and autism spectrum disorders.

Children aged 17-and-under get in free all week at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship. Free junior tickets are available for download here. Additional details, including ticket information, can be found at www.freedom55financialchampionship.com.

The 2015 edition of the World Junior Girls Championship will be held at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa from September 20-25. In addition to showcasing a number of the world’s most talented 18-and-under female golfers, the event will focus on the continued development of the sport.

“The World Junior Girls Championship is about more than this year’s participants and their opportunity to learn through international competition,” said Jeff Thompson, Chief Sport Officer of Golf Canada. “It is also about the sustainable development of golf in Canada and strengthening the relationship between the national golf associations around the world.”

Mike Kelly, Interim Executive Director of the Golf Association of Ontario, mirrored Thompson’s sentiments. “The chance to gather a number of elite coaching minds from around the world to share their knowledge and experiences is an invaluable opportunity. Through the junior girls skills development clinic and the junior-amateur fundraiser, we hope to leave a lasting imprint on the golfing community in the Ottawa area.”

A coaching summit is set to take place on Sunday, September 20 at The Marshes Golf Club. During the competitors’ practice rounds, PGA of Canada coaches will be paired with international coaches to exchange ideas and share in coaching methodology. Following the practice rounds, the PGA of Canada coaches will gather with Team Canada Women’s Head Coach Tristan Mullally and PGA of Canada Technical Director Glenn Cundari in a round-table discussion.

A junior girls skills development clinic will be conducted with PGA of Canada coaches introducing and developing golf-specific skills with junior golfers invited from the community. The junior-amateur fundraiser will see World Junior Girls Championship competitors play with local golfing enthusiasts to raise funds towards the development of golf in Ontario.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Golf funnyman David Feherty is joining NBC for analysis on tournament coverage and to continue his “Feherty” series on Golf Channel.

Feherty had been with CBS Sports for nearly two decades until he did not renew his contract after The Barclays three weeks ago.

NBCUniversal now will be his exclusive network home. The former Ryder Cup player from Northern Ireland will be part of the NBC team for PGA Tour coverage, the Olympics next year and when NBC gets the British Open starting in 2017.

His TV series will continue on Golf Channel. NBC also plans new ventures through a Universal Television development deal.

For tournament coverage, Feherty will split time between the golf course and as a tower analyst for NBC and Golf Channel.

As the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season comes to a close at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, (the final event of the 12-event season, where the top 60 on the money list as of the Cape Breton Classic presented by PC Financial compete for the biggest purse of the year), 13 Canadians, each with a unique story, have a chance to jump into ‘The Five’ and earn status on the Web.com Tour for 2016.

From members of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Program to golfers who are giving the game one more chance, here are 13 Canadian golfers who are worth watching this week at Highland Country Club in London.

TAYLOR PENDRITH

Taylor Pendrith (Gabe Yee/ Golf Canada)

Money List: 4

Earnings: $54,936

How he got there: The only player without a 2015 victory currently in The Five, Pendrith has been oh-so-close to breaking through, falling three times in a playoff at the PC Financial Open, National Capital Open to Support Our Troops and the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial. With his prodigious length – he leads the Tour in driving distance at nearly 340 yards per drive – the member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro squad has become a fan favourite.

ALBIN CHOI

Albin Choi (Michael Burns/ Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 5

Earnings: $51,017

How he got there: The Young Pro member captured the second event of the year – the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist – and, despite taking the week off in Calgary, has remained a staple in ‘The Five’ for the entire season. He’s looking to return to the Web.com Tour after an up-and-down stint there in 2014. Team Canada Head Coach Derek Ingram says of Choi: “I’ve never doubted his ability to be a superstar in this game.”

KEVIN SPOONER

Kevin Spooner (Michael Burns/ Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 8

Earnings: $42,617

How he got there: Spooner, who quit golf to be a server at a local Vancouver restaurant after a disastrous college career, emerged victorious at The Syncrude Boreal Open Presented by AECON in the third event of the year. Two other top-15 finishes has Spooner on the bubble of ‘The Five’ going into London. The athletic Spooner hits the ball a mile and has no fear in going after the difficult shot.

ADAM SVENSSON

Adam Svensson (Chuck Russell/ Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 9

Earnings: $41,850

How he got there: Svensson has played a mixed schedule of Web.com Tour and Mackenzie Tour events this year, but, when he was in the field on the Mackenzie Tour, his results have been astounding, with a playoff loss and finishes of T2, T3 and T5. At the Wildfire Invitational he co-led after the first round before dropping back over the weekend.

CHRISTOPHER ROSS

Christopher Ross (Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 10

Earnings: $39,603

How he got there: Ross, the son of former Golf Canada Executive Director (and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member) Stephen Ross, won the Wildfire Invitational presented by PC Financial in dominating fashion. His 25-under-par finish was the lowest on the Mackenzie Tour in 2015 and his win was the fourth by a Canadian – the most on the Mackenzie Tour since 2012.

BRAD CLAPP

Brad Clapp (Michael Burns/ Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 11

Earnings: $39,119

How he got there: Clapp, who split his time between playing professionally and teaching in British Columbia, hit, perhaps, the shot of the year on the Mackenzie Tour on the 72nd hole of The Great Waterway Classic: a towering approach to four feet, setting up an eagle and securing his first Mackenzie Tour win.

MACKENZIE HUGHES

Mackenzie Hughes (Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 14

Earnings: $32,017

How he got there: The 2013 Order of Merit champion spent 2014 on the Web.com Tour but after struggling there, the Golf Canada Young Pro came back to the Mackenzie Tour this year and is the only player to make every cut so far this season. His steady play has earned him four top-15 finishes.

RILEY WHEELDON

Riley Wheeldon (Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 20

Earnings: $27,554

How he got there: The bright-eyed native of British Columbia battled injuries in 2014 after finishing inside ‘The Five’ in 2013. He’s had an up-and-down season in 2015 missing four cuts, but has three top-10’s. He lost in a playoff in the first event of the season to American Drew Weaver.

BEN SILVERMAN

Ben Silverman (Michael Burns/ Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 22

Earnings: $25,994

How he got there: You can never miss Silverman on the course, as his sponsorship from Loudmouth Clothing guarantees he has the brightest outfits on tour. His game has been just as bright as his outfits this year, with two top-5 finishes.

COREY CONNERS

Corey Conners (Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 32

Earnings: $20,329

How he got there: Another member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Program, Conners – like Pendrith and Svensson – played a mixed bag of events this season on the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour. He has two top-10s on the Mackenzie Tour, including a third-place finish in Thunder Bay. Conners is also the only person to play in a Mackenzie Tour event and the Masters in 2015.

DANNY SAHL

Danny Sahl (Michael Burns/ Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 33

Earnings: $19,810

How he got there: Sahl, who has spent the majority of the past three seasons caddying for Mike Weir on the PGA TOUR, made the most of an opportunity to play during Weir’s break from playing, finishing second at the ATB Financial Classic while playing on a sponsor’s exemption.

SEANN HARLINGTEN

Seann Harlingten (Michael Burns/ Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 34

Earnings: $19,245

How he got there: Harlingten, who quit golf for six years and became a stockbroker, is enjoying his best year as a professional. The 28-year-old, who barely hits balls on the range due to an old wrist injury from his younger days, has three top-15 finishes this year.

CORY RENFREW

Cory Renfrew (Michael Burns/ Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Money List: 38

Earnings: $15,641

How he got there: Now in his fourth full season on the Mackenzie Tour, Renfrew has been consistent as ever, with eight made cuts in 10 starts and two top-10s, including a T5 finish in his hometown of Victoria.

The Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC) is the official charitable beneficiary of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship. Fifty-five per cent of ticket proceeds will go towards the wide range of services provided to more than 8000 children, youth and their families through the organization’s London Centre and its 15 regional office locations across Southwestern Ontario. Clients range in age from birth to 19 with services supporting a range of special needs including physical disabilities, communication disorders, developmental delays and autism spectrum disorders.

Children aged 17-and-under get in free all week at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship. Free junior tickets are available for download here. Additional details, including ticket information, can be found at www.freedom55financialchampionship.com.

MAYETTA, Kan. – Annie Park won the Prairie Band Casino & Resort Charity Classic on Sunday for her third victory in nine Symetra Tour starts this season.

Park earned $15,000 to jump from fourth to second on the money list with $66,125, more than enough for a 2016 LPGA Tour card as a top-10 finisher.

The 20-year-old former Southern California player from Levittown, New York, closed with a 7-under 65 at Firekeeper for a three-stroke victory. She finished at 13-under 203.

Park is the 10th player in tour history to win at least three times in a season. She won in July in Rochester, New York, and last month in Milwaukee.

Mexico’s Margarita Ramos was second after a 69.

Brittany Altomare shot a 71 to finish third at 8 under.

Canadian Sara-Maude Juneau closed with a round of 74 to finish T4 at 7-under. Jessica Wallace registered an even-par final round to sit in a three-way tie for sixth.

BEN EION, Nova Scotia – C.T. Pan sank a 5-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to defeat Canadian Taylor Pendrith and win the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Cape Breton Celtic Classic. The native of Taiwan and University of Washington product finished with a 72-hole total of 19-under-par 269 and the victory was his first on the Mackenzie Tour.

After each player made birdie on the first extra hole, both hit their second shots into a greenside bunker. Pan chipped out first to 5 feet and Pendrith followed, hitting his chip to 4 feet. Moments later, Pan sank his birdie putt and then watched as Pendrith’s birdie attempt slid by the right side, handing Pan the victory.

“I can’t find words to describe how I feel right now,” Pan said following his win. “It was amazing how I played my last five holes and then the two extra playoff holes. It’s been amazing.”

As the day unfolded, it appeared Pan would be in line for a nice finish, but would need something to happen for him to win the event. He was only 14 under after 13 holes and trailed by as much as four strokes. However, things changed at No. 14 when he hit a 3-iron to 3 feet and made the first of five birdies in a row.

“I told myself I really needed to start making some birdies when I got to No. 14. I knew I was about four shots back and told myself I needed some magic now,” Pan added. “After that birdie on 14, I felt really good about where my game was and I liked the pin position at No. 15 when I saw it. I made another birdie there.”

Pan added three more birdies to close out his round, including a chip-in on No. 18 from 30 feet to post the first 19-under-par score for the day.

Playing two groups behind, Pendrith’s downfall on Sunday would be his play in the par 5s. After making birdie or eagle on all the par 5s in the first three rounds, he started his day with bogeys on three of first five par 5s, including Nos. 1 and 3 early in his round. He was able to battle his way back into the mix with seven birdies later in his round, but missed a golden opportunity to close things out when he made par on the par-5 16th hole and then missed a short birdie putt at No. 17.

“I thought I hit a really good putt at No. 17 and it just went about a foot left and caught the edge and missed. I made a good putt on it. That’s the way it goes,” said Pendrith. “But I played the par 5s really bad today. If I played the par 5s like I had been, I probably would have won. I made three bogeys on them and you can’t make bogeys. I’m obviously disappointed losing in a playoff for the third time this year, but I was four-over-par through five holes early this week, and to shoot 19 under for the week is pretty good.”

This was the last week players could qualify for the Freedom 55 Financial Championship next week in London, Ontario. Among the players earning their spots in the 60-player field by their play this week were Max Gilbert, Dan McCarthy and Kyle Wilshire, while Jay Myers, Steve Carney and Daniel Bowden slipped out of the top 60. In the race for The Five, Pendrith moved into the top five, while Drew Weaver slipped from fifth to seventh.

NUMBERS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

28: The total number of birdies by Taylor Pendrith during the week which led all players.

1: Number of bogeys for Adam Svensson over his final 39 holes.

4: The number of eagles in the event for Justin Bardgett.

15: The most difficult hole on the course for the week.

1,627: The number of birdies for the week on The Lakes GC.

QUOTABLES

“I set a couple of goals at the start of the year and I’m on the way there. I always have really high standards for myself and I’m still working hard and trying to have a really good year.” T.C. Pan on his 2015 season so far.

NOTES

• With a total score of 19-under, Taylor Pendrith claimed Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours on Sunday along with a $2,500 prize. Each week, the top Canadian on the leaderboard will earn the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year and a $25,000 prize.
• Weather: 17 degrees Celsius. A mix of sun and clouds. Winds 10 km/NE.
• Preferred lies were utilized in the final round.
• C.T. Pan now has 13 consecutive sub-par rounds heading into next week’s event.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Sweden’s Henrik Norlander won the Web.com Tour Finals-opening Hotel Fitness Championship on Sunday to wrap up a PGA Tour card.

Norlander shot a course-record 10-under 62 at Sycamore Hills to beat Michael Thompson and third-round leader D.H. Lee by three strokes.

Six strokes behind Lee at the start of the round, Norlander earned $180,000 after finishing 47th on the Web.com Tour’s regular-season money list. The 28-year-old former Augusta State player had only nine putts in a front-nine 30 and 21 for the round.

“I got off to a great start,” Norlander said. “I made a bunch of putts on the front nine and was six-under and kept it going on the back nine and hit some really good shots on some tough holes.”

Thompson closed with a 65, and Lee had a 71.

The four-event series features the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour money list, Nos. 126-200 from the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings and non-members of the tour who earned enough money to have placed in the top 200 had they been eligible to receive points.

The top 25 players on Web.com regular-season money list earned PGA Tour cards. They are competing against each other for PGA Tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals and the final leader getting a spot in The Players Championship. The other players are fighting for another 25 cards based on their earnings in the series.

Norlander had a 19-under 269 total. He hit to a foot to set up a birdie on the 228-yard, par-3 11th.

“I felt like on 11 it flew perfect and rolled up to a foot and I felt like, `OK, might be my day,'” Norlander said. “I had a tap-in from 228, which was big.”

He birdied the par-3 14th to take the lead after hitting the flagstick, birdied the par-4 16th extended his advantage with another birdie on the par-4 17th, and parred the par-4 18th.

“Once I saw the ball in the fairway on 18, I felt pretty calm,” Norlander said about the dogleg left. “I like to hit the ball left to right and it’s just a nasty shot for me, so it was always in the back of my head that I had to hit that shot and was able to hit a good one.”

Thompson, the winner of the PGA Tour’s 2013 Honda Classic, was 146th in the FedEx Cup standings. Lee, from South Korea, was 15th on the Web.com Tour regular-season money list to earn a PGA Tour card. They each earned $88,000.

Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer’s grandson, tied for fourth with Hiroshi Iwata at 14 under. Saunders closed with a 69, and Iwata shot 66.

Canadian Brad Fritsch finished with a 3-under 69 to sit T15. Roger Sloan posted at 2-under 70 for a share of 58th.

BEIJING – When the final round of the Ping An Bank Open began, a few players held out hope that they could catch 54-hole leader Eugene Wong. Two things would have to happen, though, if that were to occur. One of those players would have to go low, and Wong would have to fall back. The second part of the equation did not happen.

Despite three back-nine bogeys Sunday, Wong cruised to a five-shot win over former University of Oregon teammate Rak Cho and China’s Zihao Chen. The victory moved Wong to second on the Order of Merit through five tournaments, behind only Josh Geary.

When the day began, Wong, the 2010 Jack Nicklaus Award winner as the College Player of the Year, held the big advantage over China’s Zhang Huilin. Immediately, Wong’s lead grew to nine strokes when he birdied his first hole of the day. Wong added two more birdies, on Nos. 5 and 9, and made the turn with the nine-shot lead. Even with Cho shooting a 7-under 65 and making some noise, Wong was on cruise control.

“I’ve been playing really well on this Tour, with three top-10s and a solo second at Wuhan (United Investment Real Estate Wuhan Open),” Wong said. “So fortunately I was able to win one of these tournaments for myself. Shooting the 9-under, bogey-free round [Saturday] gave me enough cushion that I could just plot my way around today. Starting the front nine 3-under, I didn’t need to feel nervous out there, I could free up and make a few mistakes and not have to really worry about it.”

The victory is Wong’s third as a professional. In 2012, the Vancouver, British Columbia, resident won twice on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada. He is also the second Canadian to win on this Tour, joining countryman Justin Shin. It was Shin who prevented Wong from winning in Wuhan.

Despite the big final-round lead, Wong did admit to feeling nerves as he stepped to the first tee with spectators lining both sides of the fairway. “But the first birdie on the first hole calmed me a little bit,” he noted.

Wong didn’t have to work very hard for his second birdie, knocking his approach shot on the par-4 fifth to less than a foot. He finished his front nine with a birdie on the par-5 ninth before three back-nine bogeys led to an even-par 72 and his final, five-shot advantage.

“This is my first time have an eight-shot lead going into the final round,” he said. “I was trying to keep things as calm as I could, and my caddie kept telling me, ‘You’re OK. You’re doing fine.’ This is a kind of new experience, and I feel very happy. Overall, a win is a win for me.”

Cho was philosophical, knowing Wong’s lead was nearly insurmountable. And if there were a player in the field who knows Wong’s game, it’s Cho. The two were teammates at the University of Oregon. Still, Cho was happy with his strong Sunday play and his career-best finish in the Series. Cho also improved to ninth on the Order of Merit.

“My putting was very good today. I hit the ball good enough to keep it going in,” said Cho, whose only bogey came on No. 6 when his tee shot went out of bounds. He kept his round going with a 15-foot bogey effort.

“No. 6 is the key to this round,” Cho noted. “It was a bogey that actually kept me going. If I had made triple (bogey), and I could have, it would have killed my momentum.”

Cho made five more birdies the rest of the way.

Yet the day clearly belonged to Wong, who admitted he had already signed up for all three stages of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament. But with his standing in the Order of Merit, he is in good position to earn his 2016 Web.com Tour card.

“I think I’ll try to refund some of my money,” Wong joked.

The next tournament on the schedule is the Cadillac Championship, also in Beijing, Sept. 24-27 at Topwin Golf and Country Club.

Final-Round Notes

• Rak Cho’s tie for second at the Ping An Bank Open is his career-best performance, bettering his third-place finish at the 2014 Cadillac Championship.
• Eugene Wong went 52 consecutive holes without a bogey, a streak that began on his back nine in the first round and came to an end at No. 11 Sunday when he bogeyed the par-3 11th.
• The 7-under 65 Rak Cho shot in the final round gave former Oregon Ducks the two lowest scores of the week at Qinghe Bay Golf Club. Wong fired a 63 in the third round. He and Cho were college teammates.
• Niall Platt has had an interesting season. After a strong showing at the Buick Open to start his season, when he tied for eighth at the season-opener, he missed his next three cuts and never had a score lower than 76. This week, he tied for fourth and was 9-under over his final 54 holes after shooting an opening 73.
• During the Ping An Bank China Tour – PGA TOUR China Series’ summer break, Niall Platt Monday-qualified into two Web.com Tour events — the Stonebrae Classic and the Utah Championship. He missed the cut at both tournaments.
• Order of Merit leader Josh Geary fired his second consecutive 68 and earned a top-15 finish with a tie for 13th. After five events, Geary holds a ￥68,575 lead over Eugene Wong, who is in second place.
• Only ￥10,790 separates No. 3 player on the Order of Merit, Justin Shin, and No. 5, Jeunghun Wang. Shin tied for 13th this week, No. 4 Shih Chang Chan tied for 18th and Wang did not play, electing to compete in his country’s home open, the Kolon Korea Open, where he tied for third.
• Amateurs to make the cut include Cheng Jin (tied for 13th), Zihan She (tied for 28th), Peng Yan (49th), Rongjian Tang (tied for 5th), and Tianlang Guan (70th).

LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – Britain and Ireland regained the Walker Cup with the team’s highest points total on Sunday, beating the United States 16.5 to 9.5 at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

Leading 7-5 after the first day of the biennial amateur event, Britain and Ireland again won the morning foursomes 3-1 to lead 10-6.

That left the hosts needing just 3.5 points from the 10 afternoon singles, and Britain and Ireland clinched victory with six matches still out on the course on England’s north west coast.

“We fought hard and lost with grace and dignity, that’s what sport is all about,” said United States captain John `Spider’ Miller.

Britain and Ireland captain Nigel Edwards, a four-time Walker Cup player, also led his team to victory at Royal Aberdeen in 2011.

“The lads’ short games are fantastic, which is probably what has given us the edge,” Edwards said. “Some of the bunker shots were exceptional.”

England’s Ashley Chesters and Jimmy Mullen and Ireland’s Cormac Sharvin won three of the first four singles before Paul Dunne, who shared the lead after three rounds of this year’s British Open, halved his match with Maverick McNealy to seal victory.

Chesters’ 3 and 1 victory over Jordan Niebrugge gave him 3.5 points out of a possible four while his England teammate Mullen claimed his fourth point with a 3 and 2 win over Denny McCarthy.

Sharvin’s 4 and 3 win over Mike McCoy also gave him a perfect record with three wins in three matches. He was four up after six holes against the veteran American and, although McCoy got it back to two by the 11th, Sharvin regained his four-hole advantage with birdies at the 12th and 14th.

Dunne always had the edge against McNealy, who never held the lead but could have won it on the 18th. Dunne putted first from eight feet and missed, leaving McNealy with a five footer to win the match, but the ball slid by, giving Britain and Ireland victory.

There were further home wins for Scotland’s Grant Forrest, who beat Scott Harvey 2 and 1, and Gary Hurley, who won by one hole against Hunter Stewart.

Bryson DeChambeau claimed the biggest win of the whole competition, beating Gavin Moynihan 6 and 5, and Beau Hossler was the only other U.S. singles winner Sunday, edging out Ewen Ferguson with a birdie at the final hole.

Hossler got the most points for the U.S., winning three of his four matches.

Earlier, in the morning session, English pair Chesters and Mullen claimed their second foursomes win, fighting back after losing the first two holes to beat Hossler and McCarthy 3 and 2.

Dunne and Hurley got the home side’s second point with a one-hole victory over Mike McCoy and Harvey, while DeChambeau and Robby Shelton won the sole U.S. point, beating Moynihan and Jack Hume 3 and 2.

Britain and Ireland’s final morning point came in a see-saw match, with Sharvin and Jack McDonald beating Stewart and Lee McCoy by two holes.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – With two holes left to play in her bid to become the youngest LPGA major champion at the Evian Championship, Lydia Ko stayed as relaxed and composed as a seasoned veteran. The South Korean-born New Zealander birdied both on the shores of Lake Geneva to reach a new landmark in her short but already storied career.

A flawless final-round display – featuring spectacular approaches and clinical putts among her eight birdies – made Ko the youngest major champion in LPGA Tour history on Sunday. She closed with an 8-under 63 for a six-stroke victory over Lexi Thompson at the final major of the season.

It was the best round of this year’s tournament, a score that helped her to a ninth career victory with a 16-under total of 268.

“To say that I’m the youngest in history for now, it’s so cool,” Ko said. “To finish with two birdies, finish on the last 72nd hole, with a birdie, it doesn’t happen often, so it’s definitely one of the top rounds of my whole entire life, and I’m sure it will be in my career.”

Ko is 18 years, 4 months and 20 days old. She eclipsed the previous record set by American Morgan Pressel, who was 18 years, 10 months and nine days old when she won the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

While Ko thrived under pressure, Mi Hyang Lee crumbled. The South Korean had an overnight lead of one stroke over Thompson but finished tied for fourth place, nine back. Chinese Shanshan Feng was third with an 8-under total of 276.

Ko has been breaking records even before she turned professional two years ago.

Tipped as a future great of the game, she was already the youngest winner on the Tour after her win at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in 2012, and the youngest player of either gender to reach the No. 1 spot when she did it earlier this year.

“Everyone won’t be asking me when I’ll win my first major because it’s done,” said Ko, who was two shots off the pace heading into the final round.

On a damp but dry morning, she kept her cool when Thompson got off to a flying start.

Ko, Thompson and Lee were grouped together after organizers decided players would tee off on the first and 10th tees in threesomes, fearing expected bad weather would play havoc with the schedule. The elite trio started with a par on the first hole before Thompson set a tremendous early pace with four birdies in her first seven holes. The American converted a long putt for birdie on the par-3 second then played a three-hole stretch in 3 under from Nos. 5-7. She couldn’t stay bogey-free on the front nine, though, missing a putt from close range on the par-3 eighth.

“It’s kind of hard to beat somebody that shoots 63,” said Thompson. “She played amazing. She deserves it. She ball-struck the heck out of this golf course and putted it really well. You can’t get much better than that.”

Ko was one shot behind Thompson at the turn, with three birdies on Nos. 3, 7 and 9.

The Kiwi golfer hit a wonderful second shot on the par-4 11th that landed on the edge of the green and rolled to within 10 feet of the cup, bringing out a big smile on her face. Her next shot – a downhill birdie-putt – found the hole to draw level with Thompson at 12 under.

That shot signaled a swing in the momentum.

Ko came close to an eagle on No. 12 but her ball hit the flagpost and bounced, stopping within five feet of the hole. Ko made no mistake with her next putt and moved one shot clear at the top. She capped her day in style with consecutive birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 before celebrations started with some of her opponents spraying her with water on the course.

“I said before that my goal coming into today was to make par on 18, and that’s still not accomplished yet,” joked Ko, who had bogeyed the last hole on her three first rounds. “I’ll be back next year to do that.”

For Thompson, things took a turn for the worse on the par-3 14th. She landed her drive on a rough patch behind the green and a poor recovery shot left her fuming as she hit the grass twice with her club and settled for a double bogey that sealed her fate.

Lee had a big slip-up on the par-4 third, where she had her first double bogey of the week after misjudging her second shot into water behind the green. Back-to-back bogeys on the par-3 eighth and par-5 ninth continued to undo the good work put in during her three previous rounds.

Tied for third place two shots off the pace after the third round, Pressel had two birdies and six bogeys for a 4-under total of 280 that saw her drop to a tie for 11th place.

Ko had a chance to reclaim the top spot but top-ranked Inbee Park stayed out front after finishing tied for 8th with a 3-under 68 and 5-under total of 279.

Michelle Wie was tied for 16th after shooting a 1-under 70 for an overall 3-under 281.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. posted five birdies en route to a 4-under 67 performance to finish T25. Hamilton, Ont., native Alena Sharp carded a final-round 78 and finished in a tie for 70th place.