Lydia Ko has held on to the top spot in women’s golf for 75 straight weeks. But after missing the cut at last week’s Kia Classic — just her second MC in 95 LPGA Tour starts as an amateur and professional — the world No. 1 enters the season’s first major in danger of losing her perch atop the Rolex Rankings.
Lydia Ko’s hold on No. 1 ranking in danger at ANA Inspiration
Not only is Lydia Ko not favored to defend her ANA Inspiration title, she could also lose her top world ranking this week.
Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images
Ariya Jutanugarn, who is closing in on Ko’s No. 1 position, is also the oddsmakers’ favorite to win the ANA Inspiration, despite Ko’s status as defending champion. The undisputed challenger to Ko’s reign has herself spent 35 consecutive weeks at No. 2 — and this after being ranked 53rd a year ago when she was still winless on tour.
At the time, the 21-year-old Thai golfer seemed to have last year’s competition on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club sewn up with three holes to play. Though she finished with three straight bogeys, the fourth-place finish certainly seemed to inspire Jutanugarn, who chalked up five wins last year after the Dinah, including her first major at the British Women’s Open.
This week, Jutanugarn can overtake Ko for the top slot if she wins and the 19-year-old from New Zealand finishes no higher than fifth. Seven months ago, the average points differential between No. 1 and No. 2 was 6.57 points. This week, it is a meager 1.33 average points.
“I’ve been trying to not think about [the rankings] … and when I’m out there, we’re all golfers trying to make as many birdies and eagles as we can, rather than thinking about I’m the No. 1 ranked player, she’s No. 2, she’s No. 90,” Ko told reporters Tuesday from Rancho Mirage, Calif. “At the end, we’re all golfers trying to play the best, and you know, hopefully be the one holding the trophy end of Sunday.”
Ko, who followed up her four-win 2016 season by dumping her coach, caddie, and golf clubs, has yet to find the winning formula this year. She does have three top-10 results in five starts, but she’s not exactly on a hot streak after that cut last week in Carlsbad, before which she hit 26 of 28 fairways and 26 of 36 greens in regulation but needed 33 and 31 putts in her first and second rounds, respectively.
Despite the changes in her entourage, the MC, and the pressure of trying to defend an ANA title that only Annika Sorenstam has ever achieved (2001, 2002), the always positive Ko was not about to panic.
“Obviously I’m not coming in with fantastic momentum, not being able to play in the weekend last week,” Ko said. “Being the defending champion, there is a little bit of pressure but then at the same time, I think it gave me the confidence to say that I can play well at this course.”
Failing to make it to the weekend, let alone defend her Kia title, was a bit of a blow, but not one that caused Ko too much consternation.
“I’m just going to try and erase last week,” Ko said. “I know that even though I did miss the cut, there were still a lot of positives and the things that we’ve been trying to work on in the off-season, I think they are starting to show a little bit by little and I think those are the confidence boosters and not only just results.”
Ko begins her quest to repeat as ANA champion with a 1:36 p.m. local time start on Thursday on the 10th tee. She’ll be playing alongside two-time ANA titleholder Brittany Lincicome (2009, 2015).
