Lydia Ko, refreshing and smart young talent
New-Zealand’s Lydia Ko is a talented 16 year old still amateur. After her second win on LPGA Tour last week as defending champion at the CN Canadian Women’s Open, she enters the LPGA history book. She also recorded 2 other wins in professional events, one on LET in New-Zealand and one on ALPG in South Wales.
Korean born Kiwi Lydia Ko impresses on day one of the Evian Masters
Experts and fans looked forward to see her playing in the fifth Major of the season. Smart and refreshing teenager, she feels as relax in front of microphones than on course. The 16 year old Kiwi Korea-born shot 68, 3 under par in late opening round at the Evian Championship, 2 shots behind Germany’s Sandra Gal and Korea’s Se Ri Pak co-leaders after morning session.
“Coming off a really good week in Canada. I think my confidence went from here to a little higher, especially on my putting. My putting helped me today and helped me in that tournament as well.”
Ko holed 4 birdies out of the four pars 5 of the course and hit her approach 2 feet on the third green to hole a fifth birdie. She dropped two shots on the new designed par 3 fifth and the 18th but seemed to be happy with it.
“I was really happy with my bogey on the 18th. I hit the water for my second shot and then hit the pin on my fourth. Made up and down. So I though double, easy double even triple. So I was happy about that.”
The new Evian Championship golf course is longer than it used to be and as fairways are wet, balls don’t roll at all. Ko admitted her birdies were quite the opposite of what she usually holed.
“I usually make my birdies everywhere apart from the par-5s, so today is a whole different day for me. The greens are very undulating, that is the biggest things here. And some holes can get really long, which means like a 3-wood or a 5-wood into some holes, which will make a whole different course. I kind of hit it close to the pins on the par-5s which gave me more opportunities.”
Being asked how she felt when New-Zealand Prime Minister congratulated her on Twitter, as well as Team New-Zealand for the America’s Cup, after her win, she smiled and kind of joke about it.
“Well I met him last year and we played together so that is pretty cool to kind of know the Prime Minister. It was at the New-Zealand LPGA Championship. I was nervous and he asked me, because we were in a cart, if I was able to drive. The had just changed it from 15 to 16 year old, so I said, Not any more I can’t. You guys changed the rules! (laugh)”
The young girl charmed the European journalists who have not met her before. She is smart, answers with sincerity and really seems to enjoy her life. The kind of champion a brand new Major needs.
