“If I’m holding a trophy, holding all or no trophies… I just want to have a good weekend. These opportunities don’t come around often. I want to try to grab them when they come” – Lydia Ko, who leads the LPGA CME Group Tour Championship in shots
Last Updated: 18/11/22 12:02am
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko leads the CME Group Tour Championship
Lydia Ko began her pursuit of the biggest prize in women’s golf history by hitting the green and making a bogey at the fifth, but the rest of Thursday’s LPGA CME Group Tour Championship didn’t go well.
New Zealander Ko responded with eight birdies, including four in a row at Tiburon Golf Club, which saw her shoot a seven-under 65 and take the lead in the LPGA Tour season finale.
A lot is at stake this week, even beyond the $2m prize for the winner.
Ko has one point in the LPGA Tour player of the year race, as she looks to win the Vare Trophy for the lowest average. Both are important in her quest to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame.
“If I lift the trophy, win all the trophies or no trophies…I just want to have a good weekend,” Ko said. “This opportunity doesn’t come around very often. I want to try to grab it when it does.”
That’s fine in the eyes of Ko, who has won twice in what she sees as a solid year on the LPGA tour. And in the background there are many critics.
Thailand’s Danielle Kang and Pajaree Anannarukarn were just behind Ko with 66s, Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh and South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim shot 67s and Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson were in the group with 68s.
Korda missed four months earlier this year due to surgery on a blood clot in his left hand. She has finally regained her momentum, and her victory last week on the beach at Pelican Golf Club allowed her to return to No 1 in the women’s world rankings.
Henderson left last week with back pain, and the Canadian was not sure if he would be able to play. But he changed his gear, and it allowed him to go around Tiburon with a respectable 68.
Henderson has an outside shot at player of the year, though he should win and have Ko and Minjee Lee finish third or worse.
Lee, who already set the LPGA Tour record with $3.7m in earnings this season, opened with a 71. Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand, the 19-year-old who reached No. 1 in the world until Korda took over, had a 73. .
Ko was able to laugh off his start to the race by hitting a tree.
“It’s like I hit two tee shots,” he said. “Even though I practiced, I knew that many holes would be played down. I tried not to get too frustrated. The first four holes in the wind is a beast. I knew if I could hold on and be patient. , there would be many opportunities.
“I was able to catch a lot of them on the back nine.”
And it started with a par. He was quick on the chip from the 13th green and saw it run 12 feet from the hole. Ko made a par putt, and took off and ran, making four straight birdies. It helped put two on five.
Korda gave up an easy birdie chance on the 17th when his long drive left him just 159 yards. But he came up short and failed to get up-and-down. This was the result of what he claimed to be fooled many times towards the end.
Korda had a chance at all the awards last year until Jin Young Ko beat him, making it the third consecutive year that the South Korean star won in Tiburon.
Making four in a row is difficult. Jin Young Ko opened with a 72 as he continues to struggle with a sore left arm.
Watch the CME Group Tour Championship all week on Sky Sports. The latest coverage continues on Friday from 7pm live on Sky Sports Golf and – for free – on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel.
