Last month’s BMW Championship in Korea saw another victory from now Rolex Rankings No. 2 Jin Young Ko, her fourth win in her last seven tournaments. While for many that would be a momentous achievement, the 26-year-old didn’t even realize what she had accomplished.
“I didn't know that I had won four times in seven tournaments,” she said. “I had a great week at the BMW Championship in my hometown in Korea. I was so happy. That playoff (win) was my first time in my professional career, and I did well. I just focus on my performance on the course and my body condition. I just care about how my swing and my putting feels. I don't think about how many I play in. I don't want to think about numbers.”
That strategy doesn’t change at this week’s Pelican Women’s Championship presented by Konica Minolta and Raymond James. Ko isn’t paying any attention to the Race to the CME Globe or Player of the Year points standings, choosing to instead focus on her game and the challenge in front of her at Pelican Golf Club. She spent some time at home in Korea resting and working with her coach and is itching for another chance at victory after a much-needed ten days with friends and family.
“It was a tough season but I had a good season,” Ko said of her play in 2021. “Two more left, so I'm going to be trying to finish strong. I hope to finish better than last year. This week and next week is Bermuda. It's going to be a little different from grass in Korea. I didn’t want to leave Korea and go to the U.S. because after the win I needed more time to rest with my friends. 10 days was a little short to me, so I feel like I didn't take a rest well in Korea. I need more rest, but I'm here, so I have to focus on my tournaments the next two weeks.”
Ko’s dogged pursuit of success is one of her greatest assets on the golf course, but her motivation to win isn’t just driven solely by personal gain. With a reputation as one of the nicer players on the LPGA Tour, it’s no surprise that she wants to make everyone on her team as happy as she possibly can.
“If I win, I'm happy so that's going to be my motivation. And even family or friends or my manager or my caddie they are going to be more happy than me (if I win) so I like to watch them smiling all the time.”
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