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Lydia Ko finds Stacy Lewis intimidating. And the feeling is mutual.

The topic came up at the Tuesday night gala during this week’s Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning & O-I. Ko took to the stage during the night’s festivities, pointing out Lewis to the crowd and how she finds her to be intimidating.

“She’s a tough player to beat,” Ko said when asked about her comments Wednesday. “But at the same time, she’s definitely one of the nicest players out here. I know she’s a big role model for me and for I’m sure a lot of future stars.”

“I was a little bit surprised,” Lewis said about Ko’s comments. “But then I was like, I guess that’s a good thing. I guess that means she sees me as a competitor and sees me as a challenger out there.”

Lewis shares the same sentiment for a select number of players who challenge her down the stretch on Sunday.

“There’s certain names when you see them on the leaderboard, you’re like ‘oh no, here we go,’ but there’s definitely people you’re worried about more than others,” Lewis said. “Lydia and Inbee I think are my two, when you see their name on the leaderboard and you know you gotta play some golf.”

Ko, Lewis and Inbee Park have shared the No.1 spot in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for 180 weeks over the past two years, the most recent change coming in June when Park overtook Ko at the top of the rankings.

Ko seeks to defend her title this week outside Toledo, Ohio at the Marathon Classic in front of a

Intimidation a Factor for Both Lydia Ko and Stacy Lewis

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