Jin Young Ko took over as World No. 1 on July 29, 2019. With the Rolex Rankings on pause during the coronavirus crisis, she’s not moving from that position anytime soon either.
But here’s the odd part: Ko hasn’t competed on the LPGA since the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship last November.
So where is the World No. 1?
Right now, she’s in South Korea. After spending several months practicing in San Diego, Ko went home after the LPGA season was suspended indefinitely. LPGA commissioner Mike Whan estimates that as much as 40 percent of his tour is at home overseas.
Ko planned to start her 2020 season in Phoenix at the Volvik Founders Cup in March. That event has been postponed, along with every other event on the LPGA schedule until mid-June. Ko won both the 2019 Founders Cup and ANA Inspiration, which was scheduled for this week. She will get a chance to defend her title at the ANA in September.
“I’ve been reading a lot now that I have so much time on my hands,” Ko wrote in an email. “I enjoy meditating by myself and have also been doing a lot of cleaning.”
She also works out four times per week and goes to the range daily to practice in Suwon.
Ko’s dominate sophomore season on the LPGA included two major titles, the Rolex Player of the Year Award, Vare Trophy for low scoring average and the money title. She won a total of four times in 2019.
The World No. 1 is hardly alone in having zero starts. The tour statistician reports that of the approximately 214 active members on the LPGA, 61 have yet to tee it up for various reasons, including lack of opportunity. Some of those players include:
Jin Young Ko
Sung Hyun Park
Hyo Joo Kim
Shanshan Feng
Mo Martin
In-Kyung Kim
Sandra Gal
Caroline Inglis
Yani Tseng
Brittany Lang
Michelle Wie
Paula Creamer
Benyapa Niphatsophon
Candie Kung
Muni He
Jaclyn Lee
Jackie Stoelting
Yujeong Son
Lee Lopez
Nuria Iturrioz
Min Lee
Bianca Pagdanganan
Youngin Chun
Kyung Kim
Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras
Lauren Coughlin
Celine Herbin
Clariss Guce
Ruixin Liu
Isi Gabsa
Jacqui Concolino
