Lydia Ko Finds Positives in Career-Low 60 After Missed Chance During Strong Phoenix Round
NAPLES, FL - NOVEMBER 19: Lydia Ko of New Zealand tees off on the first hole during the final round of the LPGA Golf Damen CME Group Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 19, 2017 in Naples, FL. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire) GOLF: NOV 19 LPGA - CME Group Tour Championship - Final Round PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxDENxONLY Icon171119060
NAPLES, FL - NOVEMBER 19: Lydia Ko of New Zealand tees off on the first hole during the final round of the LPGA Golf Damen CME Group Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 19, 2017 in Naples, FL. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire) GOLF: NOV 19 LPGA - CME Group Tour Championship - Final Round PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxDENxONLY Icon171119060
Lydia Ko was on the brink of history in Phoenix. She shot a career-low 60 to lead the Ford Championship. But one missed putt separated her from joining one of golf's most exclusive clubs.
During the Ford Championship press conference, 23-time LPGA Tour winner Lydia Ko reflected on that moment.
“I think it was like around six, seven feet. I aimed inside the hole on the right, and honestly, I might’ve hit it a touch too soft, and it broke a little bit more than I thought," Ko said on March 27.
Continuing her explanation, Ko added, “I mean, that would have been nice to hole that one, but who knows? Maybe if I hole that one, I might’ve not holed the other two. So it’s hard. You can’t really think about ‘what if.’
AIG Women s Open 2025 Lydia Ko NZL in action during the second round of the AIG Women s Open 2025, Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, Porthcawl, Wales. 01/08/2025 Picture: Golffile Phil Inglis All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Phil Inglis Porthcawl Royal Porthcawl Golf Club Bridgend Wales Copyright: xPhilxInglisx *EDI*
AIG Women s Open 2025 Lydia Ko NZL in action during the second round of the AIG Women s Open 2025, Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, Porthcawl, Wales. 01/08/2025 Picture: Golffile Phil Inglis All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Phil Inglis Porthcawl Royal Porthcawl Golf Club Bridgend Wales Copyright: xPhilxInglisx *EDI*
The LPGA star had birdied four of her last five holes and set the pace at the Whirlwind Golf Club. Hyo Joo Kim followed at 11-under 61, while Nelly Korda sat in third at 9-under 63.
As the round progressed, Ko said the idea of 59 only came to her late, after a birdie on her 15th hole, and the 60 stands as her lowest round on tour.
The 28-year-old opened with four straight birdies and completed the round without a bogey, picking up 12 birdies in total. However, a par on the par-5 seventh meant she did not join Annika Sorenstam as the only players to record a sub-60 round in LPGA history.
Lydia Ko On Balancing the Missed Putt With the Rest of Her Round
Lydia Ko then reflected on the outcome and said, "I felt like it was a decent putt that I really under-read. At the same time, I birdied some others that I didn’t expect, so it kind of just evens out in that sense.”
The 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist used a new putter, hit 17 greens, and needed 25 putts. The 60 set her lowest score on tour, improving on her previous 62, last recorded at the Chevron Championship in 2021.
In the wider context, scores of 60 have remained rare on tour, with recent ones from Jessica Korda, Linnea Strom, and Lucy Li. Still, Annika Sorenstam stands alone as the only player to go lower, with a 59 in Phoenix in 2001.
How do you view Lydia Ko’s round, through the missed chance or the overall score?
Read more at Club Golf!
Written by
Aditi Singh
Edited by
Sagnik Bagchi