Slowly, surely, Ko gets back in swing
Former world No. 1 shoots 4-under 68 in first round at Open
“I’ve been very fortunate about the things that have happened in my career. I’m not worrying about what’s coming ahead. Hopefully a lot of exciting things.” Lydia Ko
It’s been 22 events — almost a full calendar year — since Lydia Ko lifted a trophy on the LPGA tour. Yet the signs of a return to the winner’s circle were there, quietly bubbling under the surface.
During the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open on Thursday, Ko’s game finally clicked into place. Her opening-round 68 featured six birdies and leaves her two shots back of the early lead held by her playing partner, Shanshan Feng.
“I tried to give myself as many birdie opportunities as possible and take advantage of the calmer conditions,” Ko said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re playing good or not, you always have to stay positive and stay patient.”
Positive and patient has been Ko’s mantra during her return to form this season, and it could be the recipe to navigating a difficult U.S. Open setup this weekend at Trump National Golf Club.
Eighteen months ago, Ko was the undisputed queen of women’s golf. After earning three wins in her first full LPGA season, Ko rattled off five more in her second — including her first major in the 2015 Evian Championship — and ascended to world No. 1. She add- ed another victory to her major tally the next season en route to four more wins. Then came the drought. Her ball-striking stats had been sliding for months. After a swing change under then-coach David Leadbetter, her driving accuracy ranking dropped from 43rd in 2015 to 68th in 2016, while her greens in regulation ranking went from second best on the tour to 31st. When the results finally caught up with her stats, she pulled the trigger on changes, parting ways with Leadbetter and reuniting with her former coach, Gary Gilchrist.
“I just want to try to keep it simple,” Ko said of her new philosophy at the start of this year. “I don’t want to rip the swing apart ... Consistency is what I’m looking for, performance wise.”
It has been a steady climb ever since. Ko’s driving accuracy has jumped back to 36th this season, and the results are improving, too. She racked up seven top-10s in 10 events between February and June, and her 4-under-par 68 on Thursday was the lowest opening round of her U.S. Women’s Open career.
“With anything, you change it, it always takes time to get a little used to it,” Ko said, “but I feel like all the changes I’ve made, they have been good.”
Ko will be paired again with Feng in the second round, an encore both women will surely enjoy. The pair are friends who haven’t played together since the Olympics last summer, a reunion that both players said helped them deliver good rounds. Ko won the Olympic silver medal and Feng took bronze.
“I was really, really looking forward to it,” Feng said. “Lydia is a great player and very nice on the course. I was enjoying it so much, and I think that really helped my performance, too.”
As for Ko, 20, she says she’s learned a lot about herself in the last year. She’s done fretting about the past. Instead, her mind is focused squarely on the future.
“I’ve been very fortunate about the things that have happened in my career so far,” Ko said. “I’m not worrying about what’s coming ahead. Hopefully a lot of exciting things.”