Ko kicks back before British Open
19-year-old takes in a show before teeing of at Woburn in run-up to Evian defence
Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson got timely breaks before the women’s British Open. Ko and Henderson were both off last week while many top players competed in the UL International Crown team matches in Illinois.
The 19-year-old Ko visited France for a promotional event for her upcoming title defence in The Evian Championship and took some tourist time in London before arriving at Woburn Golf Club.
“I went and watched a musical in London,” Ko said yesterday, the day before the start of play on Woburn’s Marquess Course. “I watched Matilda. We asked some friends which musical. I’ve watched three, four other musicals here in London. I said, “Hey, what’s popular right now? I watched Miss Saigon, Mama Mia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, what’s my next goto?” And they said Matilda.”
The 18-year-old Henderson had played nine straight weeks on tour.
“And then I also added another two-day event in there, as well,” Henderson said. “So, kind of 10 weeks in a row, but it was fun. [I] did get a little bit tired, but I just rested on my days off a little bit more than normal. Just tried to pay attention from my body with that.”
The second-ranked Canadian successfully defended her title in Portland, Oregon, and won the KPMG Women’s PGA for her first major victory during the stretch. She has learned to listen to her body.
“I think it also taught me a lot about how I’m feeling when I’m just that little bit fatigued or I’m just not feeling my best,” Henderson said. “I think moving forward, it really helped my game to improve.” The tournament is the fourth of the LPGA Tour’s five major championships. Ko won The Evian last season for her first major and made it two straight at the ANA Inspiration in California in April. She then lost a playoff to Henderson in the KPMG Women’s PGA and tied for third in the US Women’s Open. “This year has been a lot of fun,” Ko said. “There are a lot of highs. I think actually winning the Evian Championship I think gave me the confidence, and then winning the ANA Inspiration, and to contend in the next two majors, even though I wasn’t holding the trophy at the end of them.”
She’s coming off a victory two weeks ago in Ohio, her fourth LPGA Tour win of the year.
“It’s been a learning progress,” Ko said. “Just to be able to play in major championships, going down in the last group or to be in contention, I think there’s always a lot to learn from that.”
Third-ranked Inbee Park, the winner last year at Turnberry, is sidelined by a lingering left thumb injury. She hopes to be ready to compete for South Korea in the Olympics.