Lydia Ko chasing clean sweep of major LPGA awards
Ko during today’s second round – photo LPGA / Getty Images
Lydia Ko’s brilliant run in recent weeks on the LPGA Tour continued this morning when she established a five shot lead at the halfway mark of the closing event of the LPGA Tour season, the CME Group Tour Championship.
Already leading in the Player of the Year and Race to the Globe standings, Ko added a second round of 66 to her opening 65 to break clear of the chasing pack headed by Hyo Joo Kim.
Ko has finished inside the top five finishers in 11 of her 21 starts this season including her two victories in 2022 and with US$2 million for the winner this week, she has the opportunity to add the money title to her list of achievements with such a rich vein of form.
“I think I stayed really patient out there today,” said Ko.
“Obviously not bogeying the first was a better start than yesterday. But, you know, with the wind direction being pretty similar and the strength being similar, I felt like I knew — I already knew going into the day that it could be tricky, but at the same time because I played really solid in the back nine, I knew that if I did make any mistakes, there were birdieable holes coming in.
“That’s kind of the goal for me this week is not let one hole or one shot phase me. You know, this is the last tournament of the season. It’s my ninth year on tour, so I want to finish the season well and also just want to finish it without any regrets. You know, just playing really freely out there. I think that’s a big key for me.”
Ko explained the improvement in her putting while at the same time keeping that in perspective.
“I think during the times when I wasn’t hitting it as good, my short game improved. So it’s good and bad, but I don’t feel like I’m the best putter in the world. I feel like there is so much room for improvement.”
When asked if she was a better player than was the case when she was number one in the world Ko responded.
“I don’t know about better. I do know that I am more experienced now. Me playing as an amateur on the LPGA, I wanted to make the cut, and it was such a cool experience to play alongside these ladies that I had watched on TV or I would open the Golf Magazine, and they were right there.
“It was a very different perspective. I played less than, like, a full schedule, so it’s just different. I do feel a little bit experienced. Wiser? I don’t know about that either, but I am playing differently. I hit it a little bit further than then.
“I’m sure there were parts then when I was younger and even in 2015 that I was better at both, so some parts that I have improved over that time. But it’s just trying to bring it all together.
“I think everybody has improved, or it’s hard to even keep your card because the level of play is just so good. To win it’s a whole new level.
“Yeah, I do hope I’m better, and I do hope my mom is joking when she says I played better when I was 15, yeah.”
Australia’s Minjee Lee currently leads the money list, much of that because of her win in the very lucrative US Women’s Open but with the richest first prize in women’s golf up for grabs this week, Ko has the opportunity to overtake the long time leader and clean up the significant awards on the LPGA Tour this season.
Minjee Lee added a second round of 68 to move into a share of 10th albeit eight shots from Ko’s lead.
Having won the Annika Major Award at a dinner last night Lee was buoyed by the boost it had given her. “I mean, actually, the video that they played actually gave me goose bumps. So I was, like, oh, that’s just so cool. It just gave me a little bit of inspiration I think coming into today and the rest of the week. It was just really nice.”