Jin Young Ko used four words and two emojis on Monday to caption a photograph on Instagram. Anyone looking for insight into the World No. 1’s frame of mind after last week’s withdrawal got the message loud and clear.
“Accept, think, move on,” Ko wrote, followed by a twister emoji.
The BMW Ladies Championship surely felt something like a raging storm for the World No. 1. Ko teed it up close to home in her first event in two months after taking time off to heal a nagging wrist injury.
The player who often wins tournaments after long breaks, instead posted the highest round of her LPGA career, an opening 80. Ko made a 10 on the closing par 5, whiffing a shot left-handed and mostly making a mess of the hole. She shot 79 on Friday and then withdrew.
Ko, 27, told South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency after the first round that she didn’t want to use her wrist injury as an excuse. But after 36 holes, it was clear that something wasn’t right.
Ko’s manager told Golfweek on Monday that she hasn’t yet fully recovered from the left wrist injury and is currently receiving treatment. She will do her best to be able to compete in better condition next month in Florida.
There are three events remaining on the LPGA schedule. Ko never planned to play in Japan but did have her sights set on the last two events. She won last year’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship while playing in so much pain she couldn’t properly warm up before each round.
Last week in South Korea, Ko came close to being overtaken as World No. 1 with rookie Atthaya Thitikul heading into the final round holding the lead. No. 2-ranked Thitikul could’ve risen to No. 1 with a solo fourth-place finish. A disappointing 74 on Sunday, however, dropped the young Thai star into sixth.
Ko has occupied the top spot for 38 consecutive weeks and 144 weeks total. She won in her first start of the season – the HSBC Women’s World Championship in March.
