Lydia Ko is doing something this week she has never done in her career on the LPGA. She's playing a sixth consecutive week without a break. Ko last took a tournament off in late May when she skipped the Volvik Championship. Since then, she has competed in Shoal Creek, Alabama, Galloway, New Jersey, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Rogers, Arkansas, Kildeer, Illinois and now this week in Oneida, Wisconsin.
She has a pair of top 10 finishes during the grueling stretch.
"I think I've got a little gray hair, no I'm just joking," said the always energetic Ko. "Yeah, it's definitely been the longest stretch since I've been on tour. Haven't done more than four in a row, so I was wondering what it was going to be like on the fifth week. I think I just survived, so I am hoping to just survive again this week and have a good few days off after this week. I think more so when you get in tournament mode you really don't know what week you're on and you're just out there playing that hole, playing that shot."
Ko also discussed her season as a whole as the Tour is beyond the halfway point. She has one win and five top 10s, but has also slide to No. 14 in the world. Almost one year ago (July 10, 2017), she was No. 4 in the world.
"I think it's either been really high or really low," said Ko about her 2018. "I'm trying to be a little bit more consistent. Definitely winning in San Francisco gave me a lot of confidence, and I was able to have another top 10 the week after. I had a couple of top 10s in this stretch so hopefully I'll be able to finish this stretch of events with a solid week here. I think no matter how well you're playing, you always feel like there are many aspects in your game you can improve on."Ko will take the next two weeks off at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.
Thornberry Creek is Lap 19 on Race to the CME Globe
The second edition of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic marks the 19th lap of the 2018 Race to the CME Globe. With her win at the Kingsmill Championship presented by GEICO and the U.S. Women’s Open conducted by the USGA, Ariya Jutanugarn currently leads the Race to CME Globe with 2,598 points. Her sister and HUGEL-JTBC LA Open winner Moriya Jutanugarn is second in the points race with 1,824.Throughout the season’s 32 official events, LPGA Members will battle for position, with the top 12 players after the Blue Bay LPGA heading into the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship with the opportunity to take home a $1 million bonus, the biggest prize in women’s golf.
All tournaments have the same point values except for the five major championships, which carry 25 percent more value; there are 625 points up for grabs this week at the ANA Inspiration. For all events with a cut, points are awarded to members who make the cut, while for events without a cut, points are awarded to members who finish in the top 40 and ties.
Points will be reset for the CME Group Tour Championship following the Blue Bay LPGA, with the top 72 LPGA Members, as well as any non-Member winners and alternates, seeded into the championship field. For the top five players, it’s easy – win the CME Group Tour Championship and take home $1 million. However, the top 12 in the points race all have a mathematical chance to take the title of Race to the CME Globe Champion and win the coveted check.
In 2017, Lexi Thompson became the first American winner of the Race to the CME Globe and the accompanying $1 million prize. She joined Lydia Ko (2014, 2015) and Ariya Jutanugarn (2016) as the only players to hoist the crystal trophy.