No. 1 Ko, 18, maintains perspective
Sometimes a girl just wants to have fun. That was Lydia Ko’s take, so after pocketing a $1 million bonus for winning November’s Race to the CME Globe for the second consecutive year, she left behind her golf bag and went to South Korea for a well-deserved month of merriment.
“I did some things like a normal 18year-old would do,” said Ko, the No. 1ranked player in the world. “I went to concerts and danced my heart out and screamed my heart out. And I went shopping a lot. I was all over the place.”
That included a trip to Jeju Island, which is known as the Island of the Gods; eating at world famous Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul; and meeting actor Kim Soo Hyun, one of the country’s movie stars.
“I also did some things I would normally not do,” said Ko, who is mad for Minions and will binge watch episodes of
Criminal Minds. “I ate a lot of Korean food. I had a lot of fun. And I did sit on my butt for a long time, too.”
Now it’s time to get back to the business of playing golf for a living. Ko kicks off her season in this week’s Coates Golf Championship in Ocala, Fla.
She’s coming off a five-win season in which she became the youngest to win a major, youngest to win 10 LPGA tour titles, youngest to become No. 1 and youngest to be Rolex player of the year.
But Ko is going to force herself to do one thing: have fun.
“Going in as No. 1, there is a little more pressure, but I’ll just enjoy it,” said Ko, who doesn’t have a driver’s license and is majoring in psychology at Korea University. “Last year I learned having fun out there is really important for me. I feel like on the outside I’ll try not to think about everything. But on the inside it is on the back of my mind. I know the better I play the more the spotlight will come with it. I just have to keep learning how to balance everything. Mentally, I just have to keep having fun.”
It starts on the driving range. Among her enjoyable practice routines is making use of a baseball bat instead of a golf club. Swing coach David Leadbetter and his assistant, Sean Hogan, toss golf balls in the air, and Ko swats them down the driving range. The drill helps her make a strong transition on her downswing.
“And it’s helping my hand-and-eye coordination,” Ko said. “I need help with that. It’s just one of the things we do to make practice fun.”
Leadbetter was impressed by Ko long before the two started working together late in 2013. Of late, they have emphasized work on Ko’s accuracy with the driver. Not that she blasts it all over the place; she just wants to hit a few more fairways.
Leadbetter will make sure to keep his work with Ko on the light side.
“For an 18-year-old, her maturity is just amazing — in everything that she does,” Leadbetter said. “She has a 30-year-old head on her 18-year-old body. And she just has a perfect temperament for the game. When you look at her game, her strength is she has no weaknesses. … And she’s still willing to learn.”
Recently, Leadbetter set up a meeting with Ko and Hall of Famer Hollis Stacy, who won the U.S. Women’s Open three times. Ko wanted to quiz Stacy on how to win the national championship.
On the road, Ko hangs out with colleague Danielle Kang, who is five years older. The two became instant friends.
“You don’t ever expect an 18-year-old to be No. 1 in the world, but when it happened it wasn’t surprising,” Kang said. “She’s an amazing golfer. There is not a part of her game where there is a flaw, and she’s as consistent as anyone can get. … I think she’s able to handle anything. That’s the beauty of who Lydia Ko is. That’s why she is so special.”