Mi Hyang Lee blitzed the Clearwater Golf Club in Harewood, New Zealand with a nine-under par 63 in the final round at the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open.

She had previously posted a pair of even-par 72’s and was eight shots behind the leader, Lydia Ko at the start of the final round.

Lee’s winning effort got off to a good start with an eagle-three at the par-5 second hole. She added two more birdies on the front nine for a four-under par 32.

Lee, who is 20 years old and yet another in a long line of talented South Korean women golfers, added five more birdies on the back nine to post a 31 and slip one shot clear of Ko.

She finished well ahead of the leaders and had to wait for Ko to miss a 25-foot birdie putt on the last hole that would have tied Lee and forced a playoff.

The 63 was a personal best for Lee and set a new course record at Clearwater Golf Club.

Ko was the defending champion of this event and was bothered by stomach cramps all week. She is ranked No. 4 in the world behind Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen and Stacy Lewis.

This was her fourth start as a professional and her third top-10 finish. She finished T-7 in her last start at the Pure Silk Bahamas-LPGA Classic and won the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in Taiwan on the KLPGA Tour in December.

128 women were in the field at the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open. Another super teenager England’s Charley Hull posted rounds of 69-73-71 to finish T-11.

Cheyenne Woods, one of the few American golfers in the field, shot five-over par, 77-72, to miss the final round cut.

Veteran Laura Davies made the long trek down under and finished at one-over par T-31 for the her three rounds.  

The Ladies European Tour next moves to the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia for the Volvic RACV Australian Ladies Masters, Feb. 6-9.

The next tournament for the LPGA will be the jointly sanctioned ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open from Victoria, Australia, Feb. 13-16.