Ko not yet in swing of things
Lydia Ko’s golf swing has been described as ‘‘uncomfortable’’ and ‘‘a work in progress’’ as the world No 1’s lacklustre season-opening effort is put under the microscope.
The 19-year-old started her 2017 campaign with her poorest result at the Australian Open, a tie for 46th in Adelaide on Sunday, finishing two-over-par for the tournament and 12 shots adrift of winner Ha Na Jang, of Korea.
With so many changes – a new coach, new caddie and new equipment – there was always going to be plenty of attention on Kiwi Ko’s attempt to reverse her late season slump from last year. She didn’t impress. Even Ko admitted she struggled, putting out on social media yesterday: ‘‘Wasn’t exactly the result I was hoping for, but there were a lot of positives to take from this week, and lots to learn from!!!’’
It’s the learnings that are intriguing those close to the game, especially with Ko taking on South African Gary Gilchrist after dumping high-profile coach David Leadbetter.
Australian Jane Crafter, a former LPGA Tour winner and now golf analyst for ESPN, told the Golf Channel Ko has plenty of work to do as she heads to Thailand this week for her next tournament.
‘‘She seemed pretty happy with her equipment and I did think she drove the ball better,’’ Crafter said.
‘‘But the swing is still a little bit of a work in progress.
‘‘I can see there are still a few little tweaks that are not totally comfortable.
‘‘She has got an interesting preshot routine . . . she makes one normal practice swing and then the next practice swing is sort of almost a step-through sort of action. She has clearly got some drills that Gary Gilchrist has given her in mind.’’
Crafter was particularly disappointed to see Ko struggle so much on the greens, usually an area where she exerts her dominance.
‘‘The one thing I was really surprised about was her putting,’’ Crafter told the Golf Channel. ‘‘It was really not good . . . 33, 30, 29 and 30 putts. We are so used to seeing Lydia Ko make everything.
‘‘It’s going to be interesting to see how she does up in Asia after this week.’’