Page 43 - Golf World (February 2020)
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JIN YOUNG KO LYDIA KO
Jin Young Ko recorded the season of Last year was a tale of two Kos, for
her life in 2019, featuring 12 top 10 while Jin Young was dominating in
finishes, including four victories, half only her second season as a pro, her
of which were majors. She finished the namesake Lydia continued her slow,
year with the second-lowest scoring painful and perplexing slide down
average in LPGA history, having gone the world rankings.
114 holes bogey-free at one stage and World number one as recently as
ending the season with an insane GIR 2016, Lydia Ko remains a cautionary
stat of 79 percent. tale against making too many
But like so many greats before her, changes to a winning formula. The
she wasn’t happy. “My play today was knock-on effect of so often switching
not good,” she said after finishing coaches and caddies – and of listening
only T11 in the CME Group Tour too often to her parents’ views – the
Championship in November. “I will South Korean-born Kiwi began 2019
work harder and more.” Chasing ranked 14th, ended with no victories
perfection is a futile pursuit, but Ko and only three top-10 finishes and
won’t come up short for lack of trying. ended it in 38th.
“This is not the end but only the The big concern for Ko is that her
beginning,” she vowed. “I will work accuracy and putting can no longer
even harder to become a better golfer.” compensate for a lack of distance off
No player has been able to win the tee. A growing number now
back-to-back Rolex Player of the Year wonder if her slump may be terminal.
titles since Yani Tseng in 2011 – the “Thank you to the haters for bringing
prodigy who shone so bright and out the strength in me, and pushing
faded fast. me to become the best I possibly can
Jin Young Ko is the most overlooked be,” she snapped back on Instagram.
and underrated world number one in It’s a cruel irony that the player
history, but if she resists the urge to fix who inspired a new generation of
what clearly isn’t broken in her game, South Korean golfers to dominate
she could break that statistic and the women’s game looks like being
begin a period of dominance not seen pushed out towards obscurity by
since Lorena Ochoa a decade ago. them. Golf’s natural selection at work.
NELLY KORDA MARIA FASSI ANNE VAN DAM
Twenty-one-year- Highly rated, big- Twenty-four-year-old
old American won hitting 22-year-old Dutch star with the
two LPGA titles Mexican, turned finest swing in golf and
and one LET title pro May 2019 and effortless distance. Her
in 2019. Expect a tipped to dominate five LET wins will lead
first major in 2020. in the coming years. to greater success.
golfworldtop100.com | February 2020 Golf World 43
