Lydia Ko hopes this week’s final tune-up before the first major of the 2015 season will help her card her first grand slam title.
Lydia Ko has accomplished more in her young LPGA career than most golfers can only dream of achieving in a lifetime. Next week at Rancho Mirage the 17-year-old phenom has a chance to capture her first major championship title.
The world No. 1 has six tour victories and nine consecutive top-10 finishes, among other feats. However, somewhat stunningly, Ko is winless in 12 overall major starts and is 0-for-6 in such tournaments since she turned professional in October 2013.
While it may be preposterous to expect a teenager to get off the schneid, the handicappers’ choice to win this week’s Kia Classic is certainly a favorite heading into the ANA Inspiration (formerly the Kraft Nabisco and renowned as the Dinah Shore by fans of a certain vintage).
Indeed, with much of the golf world awaiting word about Tiger Woods’ plans for Masters week -- and wondering if Rory McIlroy’s sluggish Florida swing dampened his chances of completing the career grand slam at Augusta -- the women are quietly warming up for the actual first major event of the 2015 season. And Ko may have her head down in San Diego, but she can’t help but eye becoming the youngest major champ in LPGA history.
"To play well in a major, you pretty much have got to have your A-game," Ko said Wednesday ahead of this week’s final tune-up before majors season kicks off. "So hopefully, if I have a good week here this week, I know that I’ll bring a lot of confidence going into next week.
"But two different courses," she said about Aviara Golf Club and Mission Hills. "It's hard to compare them course management-wise, but definitely I'm going to concentrate on this week first and hopefully it will be a fun major next week."
Despite her incredible prowess that includes 24 consecutive rounds under par and 47 straight tourneys without a missed cut, Ko will certainly have competition for the Inspiration crown.
Plain Insane: Lydia Ko has played in 47 LPGA events as a pro and amateur, and made all 47 cuts. She's 17.
— Steve Elling (@EllingYelling) March 23, 2015
Meanwhile, Lexi Thompson hopes to defend her 2014 title, especially since she has played well enough to register top-25 results in three of four starts this year, but not well enough to earn a W. Last year’s runner-up, Michelle Wie, has struggled since winning the U.S. Women’s Open in July. While always an attention-getter at any event she plays, Wie has battled injuries and illness, with her best finish in five starts this year a T24 at the season-opener.
Two formerly top-ranked golfers, Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis, have momentum heading into the Kia and the ANA. Park, who won the HSBC Women's Champions earlier this month, could reclaim her spot atop the Rolex Rankings if she wins and Ko ends up in a four-way tie for second or worse, or if she comes in second or better and Ko misses the cut.
Lewis has yet to notch a tour win this year, but she’s rolling after two second-place closes and three other stellar performances in 2015. Ko also has not fared particularly well in her two starts in the California desert. She came in T25 in 2013 and T29 last year, but she’s also coming off third- and eighth-place finishes in her last two major efforts.
"I worked a little bit on my swing with (coach David Leadbetter) last week," Ko said. "Everything is ... leading towards the majors, so hopefully it'll be building up even more this week."
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