Former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko returns to competition at the Honda LPGA Thailand. The last time the South Korean star teed it up on the LPGA at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, she was wearing a brace on her left knee. Ko eventually withdrew from the event prior to the third round.
Ko insists that’s now behind her and said doctors checked her entire body – knees, shoulders, wrists, spine – and reported that she’s healthy for 2024. She flew to Vietnam during the extended offseason to train with her coach and feels confident going into her 10th season as a professional, including time spent on the KLPGA.
Her goal this year: Stay healthy and keep her energy up throughout the season.
“Usually my season is like first five months was really nice and then my energy getting lower,” she said. “I want to be consistent with my energy, performance, everything. … Hard practice and after the practice, let it be, let it go.”
World No. 1 Lilia Vu headlines the Honda Thailand field. Last year Vu broke through with her first LPGA title in Thailand, and then went on to win three more times, including two majors.
While her first two events of 2024 were lackluster at best, Vu went home to California during the three-week break to work on her ball striking.
“I think that was a bit of a wakeup call for me,” said Vu of the shaky start, “but definitely needed to happen.”
Lydia Ko, who won the season-opening event and lost in a playoff to Nelly Korda the next week, will return to action next week in Singapore at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. Korda, meanwhile, is in the midst of a seven-week break and returns at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship next month.
Ko isn’t the only player making her 2024 season debut. Here are several other notable players (with Rolex Ranking) starting their first LPGA start in Thailand:
Australia’s Minjee Lee is sprayed with champagne by Australia’s Hannah Green (L) as she celebrates her victory at the end of the BMW Ladies Championship golf tournament at Seowon Hills Country Club in Paju on October 22, 2023. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
Jin Young Ko of South Korea tees off on the 13th hole during the Second Round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 28, 2023 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea plays her shot from the second tee during the third round of The Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods on April 22, 2023 in The Woodlands, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand smiles on the 11th tee during the second round of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 17, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Hannah Green poses with the trophy after winning the 2023 JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles. (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
Anna Nordqvist plays her shot from the third tee during the first round of the 2023 CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. (Photo: Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Jenny Shin of South Korea takes a swing on twelfth tee prior to The Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods on April 19, 2023 in The Woodlands, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea plays her shot from the first tee during the final round of the BMW Ladies Championship on the Seowon Hills course at Seowon Valley Country Club on October 22, 2023 in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Hinako Shibuno of Japan plays her shot from the fifth tee during the first round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican at Pelican Golf Club on November 09, 2023 in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
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