Who currently coaches the former world number one Lydia Ko? Here we take a look.
Who Is Lydia Ko’s Coach?
Lydia Ko is one of the most recognisable faces in the women’s game, rising to prominence when she was just 14-years-old.
In 2012, the New Zealander became the youngest person ever to win a professional golf tournament, claiming the Women’s NSW Open on the ALPG Tour.
Later that year, at the age of 15, Ko would become the youngest ever winner of an LPGA Tour event, winning the Canadian Open by three strokes.
With such an established career already, who coaches the New Zealander? We find out here.
World renowned coach, Sean Foley, has worked with some of golf’s biggest names and has been Ko’s coach since the end of July 2020.
Foley, who has worked with the likes of Tiger Woods and Justin Rose, started working with Ko after golf returned from lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking about Foley, Ko said: “He hasn’t ripped anything apart. He said what I had there was still pretty good. So it’s been very small things.
“He’s gotten me to not think too much about the lines of everything, I’ve tried to change my mindset of not taking a video of my swing every single time I’m on the driving range.
“Just go out there, and if the ball is going the way I think it’s going, then just play with it. It doesn’t need to look like a perfect swing for me just to play golf.”
Ko has had a history of changing coaches. Whilst number one in the world, Ko was coached by David Leadbetter, with the pair controversially splitting in 2016.
Ko with Leadbetter during a practice round at the Evian Championship in 2016. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
In an interview with New Zealand’s Radio Sport, Leadbetter said: “Her parents have a lot to answer for . . . They tell her when to go to bed, what to eat, what to wear, when to practice and what to practice. They expect her to win every tournament.”
Ko’s coach whilst growing up was Guy Wilson, then in late 2013, she would appoint Leadbetter, leaving him in late 2016. She would then work with Gary Gilchrist, Ted Oh, David Whelan and then Jorge Parada, with Foley being her seventh coach in seven years.
Related: Who Is Hideki Matsuyama’s Coach?
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