Year of major accomplishments
ANA/Evian winner Jin Young Ko goes for third
WOBURN, England – Jin Young Ko celebrated her second major victory of the year with a couple of beers and a cheeseburger. Rest is a high priority as she vies for a third this week at the AIG Women’s British Open.
Only six golfers have won three majors in one year: Babe Zaharias, Ben Hogan, Mickey Wright, Pat Bradley, Tiger Woods and Inbee Park.
“I have a chance this week,” said Ko, “and I will do my best with the rain.”
Ko’s nearly flawless golf on Sunday in the rain in The Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bains, France, highlighted the incredible composure she possesses for such a young pro. Last year she was making a speech as the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year, and now she’s fielding questions about the possibility of winning back-to-back majors.
Ko also won the ANA Inspiration in April.
2019 marks the first time the LPGA has held majors in consecutive weeks since 1960. Ko flew to London on Monday and plans to play Woburn’s Marquess Course for the first time in Wednesday’s pro-am. Her veteran caddie, Englishman David Brooker, walked the course Tuesday and gave her notes.
In a way, Ko’s training for such a highlevel grind can be traced back to the days when her father, a boxer, had her jump rope with him for 30 minutes to an hour at a time.
“When I was 10 years old, 11, I did always with the father,” said Ko, “and then we did competition.”
Ko, a three-time winner in 2019 and the current world No. 1, credits her rise in play this year in part to her work with short-game coach Gareth Raflewski. After last year’s CME Group Tour Championship, Ko spent two weeks with Raflewski, who has worked with a wide variety of top players on the LPGA, including the Jutanugarn sisters and Lydia Ko.
“So I fixed everything,” said Ko, “putting, setup, chipping setup, bunker, everything.”
She currently leads the tour in greens in regulation, scoring (69.11), money ($1,983,822) and the Rolex Player of the Year race.
This marks Ko’s third appearance at the Women’s British Open. She missed the cut last year but finished second to Inbee Park at Turnberry in 2015 before becoming a member of the LPGA. Ko said she can remember everything about that week.