WOMEN’S GOLF | LYDIA KO
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Double winner: Lydia Ko with the Women's Canadian Open trophy after claiming the title for the second successive year
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At the age of just 16, amateur Lydia Ko has taken women’s professional golf by storm. James Henderson talks to her coach Guy Wilson about the secrets to her success.
AFP
f prodigious talents are in fact born and not made, then the golfing gods looked down with an even greater smile than the young girl staring back. It was a chance meeting that introduced a five-year-old Lydia Ko to golf 11 years ago, but now she sits atop of the amateur world rankings, dominating a game she once knew nothing about. Lighting up the sport with her infectious smile and enviable talent, the 16-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander still retains the childlike laissez-faire attitude that has contributed heavily to her global appeal. "For Lydia, it is just a matter of hitting balls," insists Guy Wilson, Ko's coach since the age of five, and a driving force behind her success. Flicking the golfing switch in Ko was her aunt, Insook Hyon, who handed the wide-eyed youngster a putter and a 7-iron. The rest as they say, is sweet golfing history. The bespectacled teenager, as many forget she still is, has earned praise from figures such as Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie, and through her performances ensured the words of acclaim didn't fall on deaf ears. Scoring professional wins at the Canadian Women's Open, NSW Open and the New Zealand Women's Open ensured Ko broke a host of records for youngest winner in the sport, along with her US Women's Amateur victory a year ago.
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But is holding the mantle of the most talented teen in golf a burden too heavy to carry for such young shoulders? "Lydia is not at the point of putting bread on the table, she is just trying to learn and play her game," says Wilson, director of instruction for the Institute of Golf in New Zealand. "It will change when she turns professional when money becomes an issue but at present she is just enjoying the freedom and keeping her focus on the golf." Wilson, based on Auckland’s North Shore, carries the weight of nurturing the most exciting talent in the game. Words of praise are often transparent, entirely groundless on many occasions, but with Ko, actions always speak louder. If players such as Little Lydia, as she's affectionately known back home, come along once in a generation, then mentors such as Wilson are of equal standing within the game. Wilson's holistic approach to tutoring, combined with a detailed development strategy, has transformed a young pretender into a genuine contender. But when catching Wilson out on the course and quizzing his methods, his secret is simple. "Lydia has no added distractions," says Wilson, in charge of Ko's off the course affairs. "I cannot control a ball as good as she can so the relationship works well – it is as simple as that. "The role of being a coach has evolved over the years, enabling Lydia to concentrate purely on the golf." To be world number one, it is essential to have all distractions removed. But given Ko's tender age, how far can a coach justify pushing someone so young? "It is all that Lydia has ever done," insists Wilson, who claims practicing up to eight hours a day is part of Ko's routine. "We practice everyday, whether that is for an hour or an entire day, it depends how her game is."
Ko's dearth of physical strength seemingly has little bearing on the end product however, with the strongest part of her game coming off the tee. HKGOLFER.COM
LYDIA KO PROFILE Date of birth: 24 April 1997 Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea Turned pro: 2006 Amateur wins: 2011 – Australian Women’s Amateur Strokeplay, New Zealand Women’s Amateur Strokeplay, New Zealand Amateur Matchplay; 2012 – Australian Women’s Amateur, US Women’s Amateur, World Women’s Amateur (top individual) Professional wins: 4 – including the Canadian Women’s Open (2012 and 2013) Major record: 2nd at the Evian Championship (2013) World ranking: 1 (Amateur), 5 (Professional)
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Because of her age and skill level, tournament organisers see her as much as a draw card as a top 10 player ... people can relate to an amateur more than they can than a professional.
AFP
Clockwise from above: Ko has been working hard in the gym to try and gain those needed extra yards off the tee; Ko's LPGA professional counterparts give her a soaking after winning in Canada; with champion Stacy Lewis at the Women's British Open after finishing as the top amateur 64
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Adopting the quality over quantity approach, Wilson can either spend five minutes with Ko, checking her swing is in order, or maybe six hours on the course working on her short game. "We communicate every day," he says. "Technique can change quickly so we have to keep an eye on it and stay on the ball.” Ko's impact on the shores of New Zealand is already highly significant, with the teenager no longer known purely in the golfing world. But Ko puts in the hours, and is getting the rewards. Most golfers do not take up the game until their teenage years and even then they cannot commit to something so monotonous. Growing up in Ko's world however, it was all she knew. Yet while she is reaping the rewards from an early start in the game, approaching the unpredictable later teenage years is an issue closely monitored by Wilson and his team. "The strength thing is an issue but that will come in time," says Wilson in reference to Ko’s relative lack of distance. As a result he has assigned Ko to leading high performance golf conditioning coach Jay Harrison. Tasked with implementing strength work into Ko's training, Harrison's role of turning growing
pains into physical gains is a method Wilson claims is going to plan. "Lydia's physical development program is going well," he says. "But it is very difficult to be able to strengthen the body safely when it is still growing." Ko's dearth of physical strength seemingly has little bearing on the end product however, with the strongest part of her game coming off the tee. "Lydia’s main strength is in her driving and ball flight control for sure," says Wilson, speaking after Ko fired a seven-under 65 in the first round of the Women’s British Open at St Andrews, the Home of Golf. "She will very rarely miss the fairway and if she does, she will not be far from it. "Her accuracy is as good as any on the Tour but the key for us is to establish the length from the green and what is required from the distance to the hole." Getting to the green is one thing for Ko, but finishing the job is a different matter entirely. "Lydia needs to keep working on her putting," Wilson says. "When you get to the elite level putting is crucial.” Indeed, it was a series of missed short putts during the final round of last month’s Evian Championship in France that denied the Kiwi a maiden major title. In the end Ko finished two shots behind the winner, Norway’s Suzann Pettersen. Ko underwent an intensive six-week training program last year with many major changes to HKGOLFER.COM
her game; a move Wilson believes has ensured progress from tee to green. "We primarily altered her swing and grip positions to allow her to be safer to injury given the amount of golf she plays," he says. "The body is placed in dangerous positions on a daily basis so it is a matter of longevity and ensuring she is protected. "If she continued in her old style, she would suffer serious injuries five years down the line so they needed to be made." Five years down the little is an exciting place to picture Ko, who continues to face questions regarding when she will ditch the amateur scene and turn professional. "More of the same," insists Wilson, happy to keep a lid on any brimming speculation regarding Ko's future plans. "The main goal is to commit to the professional events that I doubt no one has been offered before as an amateur. "Because of her age and skill level, tournament organisers see her as much as a draw card as a top 10 player ... people can relate to an amateur more than they can than a professional.” After all, a smile says a thousand words. HKGOLFER.COM
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