Ko Ji Young has reclaimed the number one position on the Rolex Women’s World Rankings with her victory in the Evian Championship over the weekend.
The 24-year-old leapfrogged fellow Korean Park Sung Hyun with her second Major win following the ANA Inspiration in April. Ko made up a up a four-shot deficit in the final round at Evian Resort Golf Club in the French Alps, closing with a 67 for a 15-under-par total and a two-stroke win over American rookie Jennifer Kupcho, China’s Shanshan Feng and another Korean Kim Hyo Joo.
Ko first reached the World No 1 spot after winning the ANA Inspiration in April but lost it to Park towards the end of June.
The last time a player won multiple Majors in one season was in 2015, when Inbee Park won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and AIG Women’s British Open. Ko also became the first player to reach three victories in 2019.
Ko credited her caddie, David Brooker, for helping to keep her focused. Brooker, who used to caddie for former world number ones Lorena Ochoa and Grace Park, has now been on the bag for five Major victories.
“He’s a great caddie. Also today he was cold on the course, like not smiling. He usually smiles on the course, but not today. And then he said, don’t look at the scoreboard on No. 16, 17, 18, so I didn’t see the score.
“So I had my third shot No. 18 and after the shot he told me, okay, you know your position now? No, I didn’t know so he said, if you make a par you win. If you three-putt, still you win. But you’re a professional, so you have to make a two-putt,” said Ko.
Ko also met Ochoa before the start of the last round. “It was really great meet to Lorena this morning. I was really happy. She said, try [to get] many birdies. I was happy and then I’m falling in love with Lorena,” smiled Ko, who turned professional in 2013 and joined the LPGA last year.
This was Ko’s fifth career LPGA title, with her first coming at the 2017 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship as a non-member. The win extended Ko’s lead at the top of the Race to the CME Globe standings with 3,199 points and took her to US$1,983,822 in season earnings.
