Ko’s career nosedive in full swing
It’s the devil’s work for Parada. Jorge Parada has become the latest in the not-so fashionable line of coaching accessories for slumping Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko.
If history is any guide, Parada would be wise not to pack all his possessions into a U-Haul and set up with Camp Ko.
David Leadbetter, Gary Gilchrist, Ted Oh and David Whelan have all discovered that being the swing coach for the former world women’s No 1 player has all the job security of being Prime Minister in Australia. What makes Parada’s job even tougher is Ko is playing the worst golf of her career.
The 22-year-old is 46th on the LPGA Rolex Rankings and had last weekend off after failing to make the cut in her first appearance of 2020. Ko had rounds of 74 and 73 to miss the cut at the Australian Open
Ko hasn’t had a top-10 finish in the tour since July last year. While her career earnings topped US$10 million last season, it was significantly her worst year since turning professional at the end of 2013 after a sensational amateur career, with just four top-10 finishes and prizemoney of US$444,256.
Parada’s appointment was low-key – Ko told Radio Sport that Whelan’s employment ended some time ago, with no fanfare.
Her new mentor’s CV isn’t stacked with star names – Parada is apparently part of the coaching team for a handful of other LPGA players and has worked with PGA grinders such as Jonas Blixt, Matt Every and Russell Knox.
His instructions from the new boss are clear.
‘‘We’re trying to simplify things and trying to go, I guess, back to more of the swing I had when I was an amateur,’’ Ko said.
‘‘We’re working towards making sure it [the swing] can work in a pressure situation and that it’s repeatable and a swing I feel comfortable doing.
‘‘I think we’re moving in the right direction.’’
Is it the right direction though, or a backwards step?
While a number of critics and coaches have constantly cried out for Ko to stick with what made her a teenage superstar, the women’s golfing world has changed since Ko made a fine first of her early pro career.
The top players hit it longer – and there are more title contenders than ever before. Ko has acknowledged this and sought to make gains, with limited success – hence the coaching merry-go-round.
Now Parada is being charged with making regressive changes and the expectation that’ll work in 2020.
He may see it as an achievable challenge – that someone with Ko’s talent and work ethic must have her career tend upwards again. But golf is littered with players who tried to find the holy swing grail and fell off the map in their search.