Wednesday 22 April 2015 13:12, UK
World No 1 Lydia Ko returns to California this week as she bids to retain her Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic title.
The New Zealander, who turns 18 during the tournament, is part of a strong field at Lake Merced GC featuring all of the world’s top ten, including last week’s LOTTE Championship winner Sei Young Kim and ANA Inspiration champion Brittany Lincicome.
Ko’s one-shot victory over Stacy Lewis last year was her first as a professional on the LPGA Tour, with the world No 1 having a permanent memory after getting the date of the win tattooed on her wrist.
A tied-51st finish at the ANA Inspiration earlier this month ended her run of 10 consecutive top-ten finishes and a streak of 29 consecutive under par rounds, with Ko expecting a challenging week in California as she chases a seventh LPGA Tour title.
“I think (it’s) definitely one of the toughest golf courses that we play, even including the majors,” Ko told reporters. “You just miss the fairway and you need to be lucky to get a good lie in the rough.
“You just need to hit accurate shots and make a lot of good putts. We all know that the greens are going to be firm and fast.
“I think winning here was definitely important for me, because it kind of gives you that first stepping stone where the path or the door is open from there.”
Ko’s likely to face stiff competition from South Korea’s Inbee Park, who has moved to second in the world rankings after following up last month’s HSBC Women’s Champions success with a runners-up in Hawaii last week, while Michelle Wie is confident of building on her steady start to the season.
"Every week this year I feel like it's been getting better," Wie said. "That's exactly what I want to do, improve a little bit each and every week."
