Ko goes low to lead at home
New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has started her 2021 LPGA Tour season in superb style, firing a stunning opening round at the Gainbridge Championship.
Ko, who finished a challenging 2020 tour with four top-10 finishes, posted an eagle, six birdies and a bogey in a seven-under round of 65 to lead the field by two shots.
Two players sit in a tie for second place — Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Nelly Korda — while seven players are in a share of fourth place at four-under.
After a pre-season that included a six-week break in South Korea where she had surgery on a deviated septum, Ko’s performance at her home course — the Lake Nona Golf and Country Club — was surprising and encouraging.
Ko says despite the lack of preparation, she managed to get some specific practice which shone through with a hole-out for eagle on the opening hole.
“I tried to work on my ball striking a little bit. I obviously didn’t have a lot of time coming in to this week. I wish I had a month plus to make sure that my whole game is there.
“I felt like we were moving in the right direction, but I was talking to [coach] Sean [Foley], and he said ‘just be patient out there’. I think that’s going to be a big key.”
Ko believed her opening round was the best she’d played on her home course.
“This is probably my best score around here. But it’s a pretty tricky golf course and the greens are subtle in some areas. That makes it extra tricky.”
Ko’s drought without a victory, which she went close to breaking last year in finishing runner-up at the Marathon Classic in Ohio, will be three years in April.
But with yesterday’s impressive opening round, her chances of breaking that drought have been significantly raised.