‘Signs of Revival’ Ko Jin-young “Challenging for 2 Consecutive Wins in Singapore”

HSBC Women's World Championship Title Defense Match

Ko Jin-young, who showed signs of a ‘comeback,’ is challenging for a second consecutive victory.

The battleground is the LPGA Tour HSBC Women’s World Championship (total prize money $1.8 million), which opens on March 2 at the Sentosa Golf Club Tanjong Course in Singapore (par 72, 6,749 yards). Ko Jin-young is determined to end Korea’s 18 consecutive tournaments without a win. This is because she is recalling the thrilling memory of her comeback victory last year, when she shot 6-under par on the final day.

Ko Jin-young challenges for a consecutive win at the HSBC Women's World Championship.

At that time, Ko Jin-young set a new record of ‘15 consecutive rounds in the 60s,’ collecting the trophy for the first Korean player’s season win. The previous record was 14 consecutive rounds in the 60s, set by Annika Sorenstam (Sweden) in 2005 and So Yeon Ryu in 2017. She also set a new record for 30 consecutive rounds under par, surpassing the previous record of 29 consecutive rounds under par set by Sorenstam in 2004 and Lydia Ko (New Zealand) in 2015.

Ko Jin-young, who once dominated the world women’s golf scene, struggled after July last year due to a wrist injury following the major Evian Championship. She participated in five tournaments but missed the cut three times and withdrew once, resulting in poor performance. She also dropped from her solid world No. 1 ranking and is now ranked 5th.

Having been in a severe slump, Ko Jin-young finished tied for 6th, the highest among Korean players, at the Honda LPGA Thailand held last week at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course in Chonburi, Thailand. She was tied for 27th after three rounds but showed resilience by shooting 8 under par on the final day. She boasted flawless play with no bogeys, one eagle, and six birdies. Her precise shots stood out with a fairway hit rate of 92.9% and a greens in regulation rate of 83.3%.

At the Honda LPGA Thailand, Ko Jin-young’s first tournament of the year, she entered the top 10 for the first time in seven months since tying for 8th at last year’s Evian Championship. Ko Jin-young said, “I am grateful to have finished the season’s first tournament that I had been waiting for. There was nothing I regretted.” She evaluated, “My swing went better than I thought, and although there are still areas lacking, I have improved a lot.” She added, “It has been a year since I won. Playing as the defending champion is challenging, and how well I can manage that pressure will determine my performance.”

Korea has been particularly strong in this tournament. Except for 2020, when the event was canceled due to COVID-19, Korean players such as Park In-bee (2 wins), Kim Hyo-joo, Park Sung-hyun, and Jang Ha-na (each with 1 win) have combined for an impressive six wins in the last seven tournaments. This year, names such as Kim Hyo-joo, the 2021 champion, Jeon In-ji, Choi Hye-jin, Ji Eun-hee, Kim Sei-young, An Na-rin, Kim A-rim, Lee Jeong-eun 6, Choi Woon-jung, Yang Hee-young, and Shin Ji-eun are listed as participants.

The competition for the Korean ladies is also fierce. World No. 1 Lydia Ko (New Zealand) and No. 2 Nelly Korda (USA) will participate. Both players finished tied for 6th at the Honda LPGA Thailand as a warm-up. Also competing are world No. 3 Minjee Lee (Australia), this year’s season opener winner Brooke Henderson (Canada), LPGA Rookie of the Year Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand), and Honda champion Lilia Vu (USA).