Everything sounds cooler when Lydia Ko says it. Even the temperature.
“I've never been in 45 degrees, so it was kind of frightening at first because I already know 35 is really hot. So, I'm like 10 degrees, I'm pretty sure that's a huge difference,” Ko said in a New Zealand accent that has softened in the years since she and her family moved to Florida. Of course, most Floridians would be pulling out the parkas at the thought of 45-degree temperatures. They don’t realize that while Lydia measures golf courses in yards now instead of meters, she still talks about temperatures in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. For her, 45 degrees is a toasty 113 in the California desert.
“Fortunately for us with the smoke (from a nearby wildfire) I think it was a little better temperature-wise,” Ko continued. “Obviously, it's not what we want, to have smoke, but it's definitely nice to be out here.
“I think at some points in this year, we all were pretty worried that we wouldn't be able to come over here, and obviously this is a tournament with a lot of history, so we're excited to play.”
Nobody is more excited to get back at it than Ko, now 23 and a much more seasoned and mature athlete than the teenager who won her second major at the ANA Inspiration in 2016.
“Yeah, it's always nice to come back to a course where you've played well because you always draw back on good memories,” Ko said. “You know that sometimes you were out of position and you were able to make an incredible up and down or that shot on the 72nd hole for me (when I won), it's a shot I'll never forget.”
The shot in question was a wedge from 101 yards and Ko stuck to a foot for birdie. At the time she didn’t know if it would be good enough, as Ariya Jutanugarn was still on the course. But that birdie at the last turned out to be the difference. And women’s golf had its youngest two-time major champion.
“I think really when you come back to a place where you've played well, you're able to learn from some of the past experiences and really get those good vibes.”
Ko might rely on good vibrations from years past, but her game is a lot different than it was in 2016. According to her coach, Sean Foley, “We measured some shots (right before she left of California) and she was flying driver 265 in the air,” he said. “That’s carry. It won’t be long before she’s flying it 270.”
In 2016 when she was the No.1-ranked player in the world, Ko averaged 246.78 yards off the tee, 126th on Tour. And while she isn’t a bomber yet – “I wouldn’t say that,” Ko said. “Ariya Jutanugarn is a bomber.” – she is swinging faster than ever before.
“I think it's really a combination of things,” she said. “I think Sean and I have just been trying to work to a place where I'm thinking less and I'm out there hitting it aggressively. I feel like these last five events, the more aggressively I've hit it without trying to control where the ball is going, I think the better I've been hitting it.
“I also think the more competitive rounds I get to play, the more comfortable I am just going out there, not worrying about it and just hitting it. I think just being free is a big key for me. So, that's what we've been working on.”
According to Foley: “A lot of her swinging freely now has to do with the fact that she’s focusing in front of the ball, the target side of the ball, which is where you want players thinking. Sure, I’m looking at the video and I’m checking her positions but that’s not what you want players doing or thinking about. You can’t have a player trying to stand the shaft in a certain spot. I know where she should be and there are a few things that we work on to get her moving in those proper ways. It’s all science, but then it’s about conveying that science to the player in a way they understand and can implement. My job is to convey the science to her in as few words as possible.”
“I feel like I've been moving in the right direction,” Ko said. “Definitely when you see better scores, I think the confidence just automatically builds. Going back to Marathon, it wasn't the way I had wanted to finish, but that tournament actually gave me a lot of confidence to say, ‘Hey, you know, I can be back in contention.’ The more times you put yourself in contention, as time goes by, you're going to be the one holding the trophy in the end.
“Sometimes when you're playing better you start putting pressure on yourself because you feel like you're close. But it was something that I was talking to Sean about, you just can't push it, you just have to be patient, and you just have to wait and embrace the moment. Hopefully the more times I'll keep playing consistently, the more times I'll put myself in those positions and have a good run.”
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