[Winners Club] Lydia Ko 'Ping G430 Max'

World No. 11 Lydia Ko (New Zealand) is a 'master of the woods.' She perfectly compensates for her lack of driver distance with precise wood shots.

Lydia Ko once again showcased her outstanding wood shots. This was at the Grant Thornton Invitational (total prize money $4 million), a mixed event of the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour, which concluded on the Gold Course (par 72) at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, USA, on the 10th.

Lydia Ko showcased a fantastic wood shot and won the mixed tournament, the Grant Thornton Invitational.

Paired with Jason Day (Australia), Lydia Ko hit her second shot on the 17th hole of the final third round with a Ping G430 Max wood, landing it close to the hole. At that time, she was fiercely competing for the win, tied for the lead at 25 under par with Brooke Henderson and Cory Connors (both from Canada). Ko and Day made a birdie on this hole, taking the top spot on the leaderboard.

Ko and Day swept up six birdies that day, securing a one-stroke victory (26 under par, 190 strokes). The winner's prize was $1 million (approximately 1.3 billion KRW), split evenly at $500,000 each. This tournament marked the return of a mixed event after 24 years since the 1999 JC Penney Classic. Sixteen PGA Tour players and sixteen LPGA Tour players formed teams of two and competed over three days.

The Ping G430 Max fairway wood used by Lydia Ko features an 8-layer carbon composite to lighten the head. Its low center of gravity design provides a high trajectory and low spin, achieving maximum distance. The new carbon crown delivers a clear sound at impact. Its high moment of inertia adds stability, a key strength. It secures excellent distance with maximum ball speed.

Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)

Fairway Wood: Ping G430 Max (15, 18 degrees)

Hybrid: Ping G430 (22 degrees)

Irons: Ping i230 (#5-7), Ping Blueprint S (#8-9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (46, 48, 54, 58 degrees)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport TG6

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x **Data provided by PGA Tour