Lydia Ko wins $1.5 million with LPGA Tour victory in Florida

New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko ended a big year on the LPGA Tour with the largest payoff in women’s golf.

Ko won the $1-million bonus from the “Race to CME Globe” on Sunday even before she began a three-way playoff. The 17-year-old added $500,000 when she defeated Carlota Ciganda of Spain on the fourth extra hole of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla.

Ciganda missed a three-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole in regulation that would have given her the lead. She missed a five-foot birdie putt on No. 18 on the third playoff hole. On her next try, she pulled her approach into a hazard and made bogey.

Ko played the 18th hole five times on Sunday and made par each time. The last par was worth $1.5 million.

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Henrik Stenson birdied the last two holes to successfully defend his DP World Tour Championship title at the European Tour’s season-ending event in Dubai.

Stenson shot a final round two-under 70 to win by two strokes with an overall 16-under 272 on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Three of Stenson’s teammates on Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup team — top-ranked Rory McIlroy (68), Victor Dubuisson (68) and Justin Rose (69) — shared second on 14-under 274.

It was the first time Stenson has successfully defended a title and guaranteed that the 38-year-old Swede finishes second to McIlroy in the European Tour Race to Dubai.

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Australian left-hander Nick Cullen shot a three-under 69 to win the Australian Masters in Melbourne by one stroke over Adam Scott, ending Scott’s attempt for a third consecutive victory in the tournament.

Cullen, who had a four-round total of nine-under 279, saved par on the 18th after hitting his bunker shot to within a foot.

Scott, who trailed by four strokes after three rounds, shot 68 Sunday and finished tied for second with two other Australians. Scott’s 60-foot putt for birdie on the 18th hole curled out and he held the clubhouse lead for about an hour until Cullen finished his round at Metropolitan Golf Club.

“We had a great read on the final putt, and I couldn’t believe it didn’t go in,” Scott said. “After all the putts that didn’t drop this week, I really needed that one.”

An eagle at the par-5 fourth and back-to-back birdies at Nos. 11 and 12 helped Cullen clinch the win.

James Nitties and Josh Younger were tied for second with Scott.

Second-ranked Scott now heads to Sydney for an Australian Open showdown with world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, the defending champion.

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Tommy Armour III made a 4-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole for a one-shot victory over Lee Janzen at the Callaway Pebble Beach Invitational.

Armour III, who won the event for the third time in its 43-year history, had a final-round 67 for a 14-under 274. He began the final round trailing Janzen, the two-time U.S. Open champion, by two shots.

The co-leader after three rounds with Andrew Putnam, Janzen finished with a 69.

Armour III made a 17-foot putt on the 18th hole of regulation to match Janzen at 14 under. Janzen had just made a 30-foot birdie from the front fringe.

Kevin Sutherland, the 2000 winner of the tournament that features 83 pros from the four major tours as well as mini tour players and club pros, finished alone in third at 10 under after a 67.