There is no question that Lydia Ko’s golf game is back. After a closing 62 at the ANA Inspiration two weeks ago to finish second in the year’s first Major, the 23-year-old Kiwi continued her torrid play at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii. Rounds of 67-63-65-65 allowed Ko to shatter the 72-hole tournament scoring record by eight shots en route to a seven-stroke victory over a quartet that included Inbee Park and Nelly Korda.
The win was the 16th of Ko’s LPGA career but the first in 1,084 days, a nearly three-year winless drought that had many wondering if the prodigy who had won 12 LPGA titles before age 19 might have flamed out. Well, in her past 100 holes, she’s made just one bogey. Looks like we have an answer to whether she’s capable of winning again.
OK, so her game is no longer rusty. But her victory celebration… well hopefully that will get back up to speed, too. Ko stood on the 18th green on Saturday (Hawaii time) at Kapolei Golf Club and joined in a hula dance to commemorate her victory. And remember, it had been 1,084 days since her last win:
https://twitter.com/GolfDigest/status/1383622406539935753
An “A” for effort, no doubt, but let’s just say it wasn’t a runaway win in the hula-dance department.
