Lydia Ko understood last Saturday when she moved to No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings that staying in that position – as the youngest in all of golf – would require continued excellent play.
“All I was focused on was try and play my best out here today,” Ko said following the Coates Golf Championship where she finished T2. “So it's a huge honor to be in that ranking. I’m just going to focus on my golf, not think about the rankings. The rankings, like I said, it always comes after the results. I’m just going to focus the next week, concentrate on a whole new week and I think that's all I can really do.”
Here are some notes regarding that top ranking:
- Tiger Woods first gained the No. 1 ranking in the Official World Golf Ranking on June 15, 1997, the day after the U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Washington DC. He held that spot for one week before Ernie Els won and moved back to No. 1. Ko could be in a similar situation, as her lead over No. 2 Inbee Park is so small (Ko’s 9.70 to Parks’ 9.67) and both Park and No. 3 Stacy Lewis are in the field with Ko this week in The Bahamas.
- The time at the top of the ranking for the younger women’s players has varied. The previous youngest player, Jiyai Shin, was there for seven consecutive weeks (May 3-June 20, 2010) while Yani Tseng reigned for 110 weeks from 2011-2013.
- The Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking system debuted nearly nine years ago, on Feb. 21, 2006. Since then there have been nine No. 1 players: Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa (a record 158 weeks), Jiyai Shin, Ai Miyazato, Cristie Kerr, Yani Tseng, Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park and Ko.
- Ko, 17, is the top-ranked women’s player and Rory McIroy, 25, tops the men’s ranking. Last week’s winners on the LPGA and PGA Tour were also in their 20s – Na Yeon Choi (27) and Brooks Koepka (24).
- Here are the youngest leaders of the world rankings, both women and men:
| Player | Age (Yrs./Mos./Days) | Wins | Majors | Top-10s | Events | MC |
| Lydia Ko | 17/9/9 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 43 | 0 |
| Tiger Woods | 21/5/16 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 36 | 9 |
| Jiyai Shin | 22/0/5 | 6 | 1 | 24 | 47 | 1 |
| Yani Tseng | 22/0/22 | 6 | 3 | 34 | 78 | 5 |
Korean winning streak
With Na Yeon Choi’s victory at the Coates Golf Championship last week, there have been five consecutive victories by players of South Korean heritage. Dating back to the end of the 2014 season, that includes Inbee Park, M.H. Lee, Korean-American Christina Kim, South Korean-born New Zealander Lydia Ko and Choi. The win in Ocala, Fla., was Choi’s first since the 2012 season-ending event.
Korda’s season-opening success continues
Jessica Korda barely missed a birdie chance on the final green of last week’s Coates Golf Championship, continuing a remarkable record during season-opening events. The second-place finish bodes well for her title defense at this week’s Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic in Nassau, The Bahamas.
“It’s like the first day of school,” Korda said. “You’re always happy to be back the first week of school.”
Korda was aiming for her third season-opening victory in four years.
Here’s a look at her first event success on the LPGA:
| Year | Tournament | Finish |
| 2008 | U.S. Women’s Open | T19* |
| 2009 | U.S. Women’s Open | T26* |
| 2010 | Kraft Nabisco Championship | T67* |
| 2012 | Handa Australian Open | Won |
| 2013 | ISPS Handa Australian Open | T18 |
| 2014 | Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic | Won |
| 2015 | Coates Golf Championship | T2 |
| *-Amateur. |
Rise of the rookies
A handful of rookies stood out among the 16 who opened the season at the Coates Golf Championship last week:
- Ha Na Jang of South Korea opened 67-65 and held the 36-hole lead. Her 65 was the low round of the tournament (with three others) en route to a T2 finish.
- Cindy Feng of China shot a 30 on the front nine – including four consecutive birdies – in the third round. It was the low nine holes of the week as she finished T21.
- Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, after suffering a couple of years with a shoulder injury, finished 11th last week after a final-round 68.
- Australia’s Minjee Lee, formerly the world’s top-ranked amateur, came home in 32 on Saturday to finish 12th.
Short but historic history
This is just the third year of the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic but already there have been two noteworthy performances:
- In 2013, nearly a foot of rain fell on the Ocean Club Golf Course prior to tournament, necessitating that an abbreviated hole rotation be used. Because of flooding, participants used a 12-hole course over three rounds. Ilhee Lee of South Korea won the tournament.
- Last year, Jessica Korda got up and down on the final hole for birdie to beat Stacy Lewis by one stroke and continue her penchant for hot starts to the season.
Etc.
This week’s Golf Channel broadcast is all live – 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 3-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. … Canada’s Brooke Henderson, the No. 1-ranekd amateur before turning pro in December, Monday qualified for this week’s event and will make her professional LPGA debut. … American Alison Walshe finished sixth last week in Ocala, Fla., her career-best finish. She shot 68-66 on the weekend, had 11 birdies and just one bogey and hit 30 of 36 greens in regulation.
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