Will Lydia Ko maintain her superb performance next year?
Lydia Ko is a phenomenon in the amateur women golf world. At the age of just 15, she has built a reputation, many professionals will die for.
However, her performance at the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship 2012 left many asking the million dollar question, will Lydia Ko bounce back in the coming year?
If you ask the fans, you will get the predictable ‘yes’. This is why observers and golf rankings do not give much credence to fan talk and instead rely on the opinion of experts.
Experts are of two minds about Lydia Ko. On one hand, Ko has the best record among the amateurs so far and is constantly ranked at the top of the rankings. On the other, Ko has not been on top of her game lately.
The recent defeat at the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship has left many wondering about the condition of Ko’s game. She lost in the semi-finals to the American player Alison Lee. The score was 2 & 1 in Lee’s favour.
This unexpected turn of events led many experts to believe that Ko is heading toward a burnout. Alison Lee is not a particularly well known player. In any case, a player of Ko’s status should have performed better in a tournament where she was going strong.
What are her chances now?
This is a question that Ko will be asking herself as she practices and participates in various golf events in the coming months. This was a major title and winning it would have added a nice feather to her cap.
There is a group of gold commentators who have a contradictory opinion. They say that such of setbacks are actually good for a player of Ko’s standing. These setbacks prevent the player from becoming complacent and thus losing her form.
Whatever the experts say, one thing is very clear. Lydia Ko has tremendous golf ahead of her as an amateur. Already she has played in pro tournaments and is very much aware of the problems and pressure that these tournaments pose.
Her win in the recent 2012 Bing Lee/Samsung Women's NSW Open was a major milestone in her career. Many amateurs compete in professional events but it is rare that an amateur wins the trophy in the presence of seasoned players.
This trophy is the proof of Ko’s expertise. She has played in other events after that but mostly her fame rests on this win.
So the big question has answered itself. Yes! There is a very high probability that Ko will maintain her form in the coming year. She will play in the tournaments and continue adding to her bag of victories.
A related question also arises. Should Ko start planning to turn professional?
Usually, when a player turns pro, they face two issues. One is the credibility of form and the other, sponsors. It is a common fact that many amateurs fizzle out once they go pro. They cannot handle the pressure of a pro career and quickly drop way down
the rankings.
Sponsorships are tied to the performance and the popularity of a player. This is a closed circle that players often find themselves trapped in.
Lydia Ko is a talented player who has made it big in the cut throat competition of amateur golf. She will maintain her form in the coming years and might turn professional eventually.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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