Daly City: A two-year win drought marked by changes in coaches, caddies and clubs ended for Lydia Ko on Sunday as the former world NO. 1 closed out victory at the Mediheal Championship with a stroke of brilliance.

Needing something special to shake off Australian Minjee Lee in the first play-off hole, New Zealander Ko pulled out a three-wood from 234 yards and landed the ball two-and-a-half feet from the pin for a tap-in eagle.

Ko brushed tears from her eyes after the draining the putt, having notched up her first win in 44 starts.

She now boasts a 15th LPGA title and two major wins since turning professional in 2014.

“I don’t think I’ve ever cried in the other 14 (wins),” she told reporters at Lake Merced Golf Club with a laugh.

“And I cried like four times in the span of two minutes, which is kind of embarrassing.

“Every time I’d see my sister, I’d cry, every time I’d see my mum I cry, Ted (Oh), my coach was crying so then I cried again.

“I’m like ‘God, get a hold of yourself!’ “But you know it was emotional because they’d been through it with me, it’s not like you’re the only one out there.

“That’s why it’s so meaningful.”

Ko led by a stroke ahead of Jessica Korda into the final round but for a period it looked like more disappointment was in store for the young New Zealander.

She made three bogeys in her first six holes to fall two shots adrift of the lead before a stunning rally on the back nine at the San Francisco course where she won back-to-back titles in 2014-15.

She all but won the tournament on the 18th, where she nearly pitched in for an eagle, but made sure of it when she returned to the par-five hole for the play-off.

Her three-wood cleared tree limbs fringing the fairway before landing a few metres short of the green. It bounced on, rolled and missed the hole by inches.

Ko turned 21 during the week and can now celebrate her triumph at a local bar, having passed the United States’ legal drinking age.

On the PGA Tour, Billy Horschel and Scott Piercy played bogey-free in the alternate-shot format and closed with a 5-under 67 to win the Zurich Classic.

Horschel and Piercy surged into the lead with birdies on the 10th and 11th holes and finished with seven pars to hold off Jason Dufner and Pat Perez. Dufner missed a 14-foot birdie putt on the last hole at TPC Louisiana that would have forced a play-off.

They finished at 22-under 266.

Horschel became a two-time winner at TPC Louisiana. He captured his maiden PGA Tour title at the 2013 Zurich Classic when it was an individual tournament.

The victory was Horschel’s fifth and Piercy’s fourth. They each earned $1.04 million (Dh3.82 million). The team event did not count toward the world ranking, nor did they earn an automatic invitation to the Masters. They are eligible for the Tournament of Champions next January at Kapalua.

The format changed this year to end with foursomes in the final round, allowing for more movement on the leaderboard. Horschel and Piercy started the final round three shots behind and birdied the opening two holes.

Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown, who lost in a play-off at the Zurich Classic a year ago, had the 54-hole lead until fading on the back nine and closing with a 77.

Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel shot 68 and finished third.

Chris Paisley pitched in for eagle from just inside 50 yards on the final hole as he and Tommy Fleetwood tied for fourth with Brice Garnett and Chesson Hadley.

Alexander Bjork of Sweden closed with a 7-under 65 to claim a one-stroke victory in the China Open for his first European Tour title.