Kang claims Marathon Classic win after late Ko collapse

Kang claims Marathon Classic win after late Ko collapse

Aug 9, 2020; Sylvania, OH, USA; Danielle Kang from Las Vegas, Nevada, holds up the championship trophy after winning the final round of the Marathon LPGA Classic golf tournament at Highlands Meadows Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

(Reuters) - Danielle Kang profited from a late Lydia Ko collapse to win the Marathon Classic by one shot on Sunday and become the first player to win back-to-back events on the LPGA Tour since Shanshan Feng in 2017.

Kang, who won last week's Drive On Championship, looked out of contention as she trailed New Zealander Ko by five shots with six holes to play but a few words of encouragement from her caddie turned things around.

"My caddie looked at me and said, 'You're right in it,'" the 27-year-old American said.

"I looked at him and said, 'I'm five down with six holes to go.' I kind of liked that mentality, made some good birdies coming in and kept it together."

Her final round of three-under-par 68 saw her finish at 15-under 269, one stroke better than Ko (73) and England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff (67).

Ko led by four heading into Sunday's finale and looked on course to end her two-year wait for a title before bogeys at 14 and 16 and a double-bogey at the 18th tripped her up.

(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)