When Jin Young Ko claimed the HSBC Women’s World Championship title a year ago, she left Singapore on top of women’s golf world. With her two-stroke win, it marked the sixth straight year in which she had grabbed an LPGA Tour victory. Her closing-round 66 was her 15th consecutive round in the 60s, a new LPGA record. It was her 29th round in the 60s over her last 30. The then Rolex Women’s World Rankings No. 1 seemed primed for another spectacular season, the potential to overtake Lorena Ochoa for the most weeks as the top player in the rankings was within her sights.

In hindsight, that Sunday in Singapore was no springboard, but rather a plateau that Ko is still coming to terms with. In the months to follow, the 27-year-old South Korean star suffered another wrist injury setback that caused her to endure the worst stretch of her tour career, one she’s still navigating.

“There were some tough times last year,” Ko said Tuesday during a pre-tournament press conference at Sentosa Golf Club. “But because of those times, I learned that I needed to practice the right away, what I needed to do, and what I needed to work on. It was an important year for me.”

Ko missed back-to-back cuts for the first time in her six-year career last August at the AIG Women’s Open and CP Women’s Open. She did not defend her title at the Cambia Portland Classic, resting her wrist instead.

Her return in October continued with wrist pain. Ko’s best finish over her last four tournaments came at the limited-field CME Group Tour Championship, a T-33. In the offseason, she returned to her old coach, Si Woo Lee, to find answers as Ko remained physically and mentally tired.

In a text exchange with Golf Digest, Lee noted that Ko’s body and rotation patterns “had broken a lot,” getting smaller compared to her swing in previous years. The two spent a month working together in Vietnam, emphasizing building stamina and fixing her swing mechanics. “So I keep asking her [to use her] upper and lower body turn rather than use of the wrist and arm.”

Ko saw some progress a week ago at the Honda LPGA Thailand, her first start of 2023, where she shot a closing 64 to finish T-6. Ahead of that event she shared that her wrist feels better and that she’s working out to protect it more. Her coach more precisely described where her injury is now, stating she’s at “70-80 per cent free from wrist injuries.”

While Lee and Ko have been working together to put a new swing in place, there’s also been working rebuilding Ko’s mental stamina. Judy Rankin once described the 13-time winner as being as good under pressure “as anybody we’ve ever watched.” To restore that, Lee and Ko have turned to meditation to start solving her mental exhaustion. Ko now meditates every morning and night. The routine alleviates some of the pressures the two-time player of the year has and helps keep her present on the course.

“All the players have high expectations, and that makes it [easy to become] tired,” Ko said. “So I don’t want to [put] high expectations myself. Just look the ball and just hit it and just walk and then hit again, that’s it.”

The proof started showing in her final round in Thailand. It’s was her lowest round from the now World No. 5 player since last May at the Palos Verdes Championship. The T-6 finish was her first top-10 since the Amundi Evian Championship in July.

“I don’t have word to describe what went down on that last round,” Ko said. “I feel that I’ve managed to show true moments and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.”

Putting more of those moments together can start returning Ko to where she was at the end of last year’s HSBC Women’s World Championship. Right at the top of her game.

The post How this LPGA star is trying to bounce back from a year of injuries and doubt appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Paisley
With the Rolex Women’s World Rankings updated on Monday, the field was finalised for the third-ever Olympic women’s golf competition. The United States and South Korea are the two countries sending four players, with their competitors all within the top 15 of the world as of the June 28. All other nations were eligible for up to two representatives in the 60-player field.

Nelly Korda, the new World No. 1 coming off her victory on Sunday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, leads the U.S. to Tokyo alongside Danielle Kang (5th), Lexi Thompson (9th), and Jessica Korda (13th). Jessica Korda sat on the outside looking in at the start of the year, ranking 23rd before cracking the top 15 with a win at the Diamond Resort’s Tournament of Champions, followed by back-to-back top-3s at the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open and the Pure Silk Championship.

The Kordas, whose brother Sebastian will compete for the U.S. in tennis in Tokyo, are the second American family members to play together in Olympic women’s golf. The 1900 Olympics had Margaret and Mary Ives Abbott, daughter and mother, respectively, represent the U.S. in the first Olympic women’s golf tournament. Margaret won gold, becoming the first woman to win an Olympic medal for America in any sport.

Players took to social media on Monday to express their excitement.

a dream come true… OLYMPICS TOKYO BOUND ???????? @TeamUSA @Olympics @NBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/sQjCvGFw9N

— Danielle Kang (@daniellekang) June 28, 2021

Coming into the year making the @Olympics was one of my top goals and to see my hard work pay off is the best feeling. Feel blessed and grateful for the opportunity to represent my country in Tokyo and I can’t wait to be there!! ?? @TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/qfEb3uJW3z

— Lexi Thompson (@Lexi) June 28, 2021

All three medalists from 2016 Olympics in Brazil are returning for the Games that were postponed from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reigning gold medalist is South Korean Inbee Park, the current World No. 3. Silver medalist Lydia Ko (No. 10), of New Zealand, enters the Games off a resurgent 2021, with a win at the Lotte Championship and five top-10s in 12 starts. Bronze medalist Shanshan Feng (No. 19), of China, might be making her last competitive golf appearance in Tokyo. The 10-time winner shared after missing the cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship that she told her team 2021 would be her final year, as Feng is still deliberating when she’ll retire.

The South Korean team can make the strong argument that it was the hardest to make. If a player wasn’t in the top six in the world, she didn’t have a chance. Along with Park, countrywomen Jin Young Ko (2nd), Sei Young Kim (4th) and Hyo Joo Kim (6th) round out the team.

The three major champions in 2021 will have a chance to make the medal stand in Tokyo. Eighth-ranked Yuka Saso, the first major champion in golf out of the Philippines, won the U.S. Open in May and will represent her country alongside close friend Bianca Pagdanganan. ANA Inspiration winner Patty Tavatanakit (12th) represents Thailand with Ariya Jutanugarn. Tavatanakit passed Moriya Jutanugarn for the second Olympic spot after her victory in Rancho Mirage.

The 2019 AIG Women’s Open winner, Japan’s Hinako Shibuno (31st), will not represent her country in Tokyo. Nasa Hataoka (11th) and Mone Inami (27th) will wear the Japanese flag. Sibuno began the year inside the Olympic bubble, but has struggled this year, missing two of three cuts in majors, with no better than a T-33 in any event since April.

Mel Reid (38th) and Charley Hull (41st) represent England, fending off 2018 AIG Women’s Open champ Georgia Hall (51st).

The challenging part of making the teams is over. Now, players wait for the 72-hole tournament that will be played Aug. 4-7 at Kasumigaseki Country Club.

The post Korda sisters among those heading to Tokyo as official bids for Olympics are finalised appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
Sophia Popov was expected to make a massive leap in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings, but the biggest jump in the history? Just add that to accolades that go with Popov’s stunning win at the AIG Women’s British Open.

The 27-year-old German, who didn’t have LPGA status, was ranked No. 304 prior to starting play at Royal Troon. But her two-shot triumph allowed her to climb up to No. 24, leaping 280 spots with her one magical tournament.

RELATED: Sophia Popov overcomes long battle with Lyme disease and losing her tour card to win AIG Women’s British Open

Prior to Popov’s accomplishment, the biggest jump in rankings happened in 2007. That March, Meaghan Francella won the LPGA Tour’s MasterCard Classic while ranked No. 330 in the world. With the victory, Francella’s lone LPGA title, she moved to No. 77. A huge, 253-spot move, but not as big as Popov’s.

Behind Francella, Jessica Korda won the 2012 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open while ranked No. 285 and moved 203 spots to No. 82.

The lowest ranked player to win a major prior to Popov was Anna Nordqvist, who won the 2009 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship when she was ranked No. 214. She climbed to No. 24 after that win (190 spots).

These numbers give even more context to the incredible, unlikely victory of the now former Symetra Tour player, her major win giving her full status on the LPGA Tour.

The post Sophia Popov officially makes the biggest one-week jump in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings history appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Sorenstam recently joined to talk about her role as captain for this latest edition of Golf Digest Podcast. Among the topics discussed is that of the unusual year it has been for the LET. Five tournaments were taken off the schedule this year, for various reasons, making the qualifying process more of a challenge. Just getting their game’s in shape has been tougher for Sorenstam’s charges, but during our conversation she insists she’s not worried about what it does for the competitiveness for her team when they get to Des Moines later this month for the three-day clash.

At 46, a mother of two and nine years removed from her playing days, Sorenstam is in an interesting place in her career and life. She continues to be a presence in golf, through work she does with junior golf through the ANNIKA Foundation, her role as a captain and mentor to professional players, as a part-time TV commentator and through her women’s golf clothing line. On the podcast, we get her perspective on the state of the women’s game, why the new LPGA dress code got so much attention, and what it takes to be a player who wins consistently over a long period of time, not just a player who wins once.

https://soundcloud.com/user-96678684/episode-98-annika-sorenstam

The post Golf Digest Podcast: Annika Sorenstam sounds awfully confident on the eve of the 2017 Solheim Cup appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.