AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) Lydia Ko’s return home for the New Zealand Women’s Open will give the former world No. 1 a chance to sustain her recent improvement in form and perhaps collect her first LPGA title in more than a year.
Ko has won her home open in three of the last four years – 2013, 2015 and 2016. However, she faces a stronger challenge when the latest edition starts Thursday, as the tournament has become part of the LPGA Tour for the first time.
The strongest field in the tournament’s history includes seven major winners; an eighth, American Paula Creamer, withdrew Tuesday with a wrist injury.
The 20-year-old Ko will endeavor to become the first non-American to win an LPGA tournament in their home country since South Korea’s Kyu Jung Baek in 2014.