HERE IS a notice to the hoteliers of the fine town of Troon.
If you serve up mouth-watering barbecue ribs in your restaurant, then make sure you’ve got plenty of them in stock come July because Lydia Ko, the world No.1, will be seeking you out.
“When I was playing the Ladies Scottish Open a couple of years ago we stayed in Troon and they had these ribs that were the most amazing ribs I’d ever hard,” she drooled.
“I know you can get those in the US too but they were the most amazing thing and I think I had them four times in the week. It was almost addictive. I would get back to the hotel and order it straight away.”
Ko remains hungry for success as the season moves into, well, the meaty stage of the campaign. And given all these ropey foody references, we should have provided napkins with this article.
The 20-year-old New Zealander will be back on Ayrshire soil this summer to contest the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open at Dundonald Links before heading east to Fife the following week to compete in the RICOH Women’s British Open at Kingsbarns.
It promises to be a terrific double-whammy which will showcase the best the female game has to offer. The fact the Ladies Scottish Open has seen its prize fund rocket to £1.5m has ensured a world class field.
Those aforementioned ribs merely add to the mouth-watering prospect.
For Ko, the cupboard has been somewhat bare this year but, despite a winless 2017, she is still standing firm at the head of the global pecking order.
A raft of changes, which included a new coach, a new caddie and new equipment in the close season, led to plenty of raised-brow scrutiny but Ko is confident that things are heading in the right direction.
We have come so accustomed to her reeling of wins in carefree abandon down the seasons that anything other than glorious triumph is viewed as a minor crisis.
In 2014, she won three times on the LPGA Tour, the following year she racked up five wins and in 2016 she added a further four to her shimmering cv. Despite all the “what’s wrong with Lydia?” stories this year, Ko has still managed six top-10s, including a share of second in April’s Lotte Championship. The Kiwi is looking forward to the business end of the schedule now.
“I feel like my game is going in the right direction and I’ve had few top-10s to build up my confidence,” she said.
“I was hitting the ball great early in the season but struggling a little bit with my putting but I’m a little better now.
“If I can keep giving myself opportunities, it’ll come. We’ve got a huge stretch coming up with three majors in 12 weeks so it’s an exciting time. It would be extremely special to win in Scotland, especially with all the history and legends of the game. To have my name alongside them would be a huge honour.”
Given that she has been winning professional tournaments since the age of 15, it’s easy to forget that Ko is still just a very young girl growing up in the spotlight but she continues to deal with all the fanfare with a cheery, easy going demeanour that masks her fierce competitive instincts.
Ko has always maintained that she wants to retire at the ripe old age of 30 but, for the time being, she is happy to continue frolicking in the fountain of youth.
And the secret to this fresh-faced joie de vivre? “Something I do is sing a song to myself in my head,” she said. “That might sound silly but when I’m warming up, I warm up to music which I think is a great way to relax.
“I love listening to music so when I get in to a tricky situation I whistle or sing in my head which helps me think about the positives.
“I’ve met so many amazing people and seen so many incredible places but probably the toughest part for me is being in the spotlight.
“But it has given me so many opportunities in life that other 20-year-olds wouldn’t have been able to experience.
“The whole journey has been awesome so even in those tough moments you are able to look back at what you’ve done and enjoy your life.”
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