While 14 golfers have a shot 59 (or lower) in competition on the PGA Tour, just once has the magic number been put up in an LPGA Tour event. It came March 16, 2001, Annika Sorenstam accomplishing the feat during the second round of the Standard Register Ping at Moon Valley Golf Club in Phoenix.
Twenty-five years and 10 days later—coincidentally at a course roughly 30 miles away from where Sorenstam made history—Lydia Ko came oh-so-close to giving her fellow Hall-of-Famer some company. With birdies on four of her final five holes, the LPGA veteran shot 12-under 60 at Whirlwind Golf Club’s Cattail course in the opening round of the Ford Championship.
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Ko teed off on the 10th hole and began her day with four consecutive birdies, a start that the 28-year-old New Zealander can’t ever remember getting off to in her more than 1,030 rounds on the LPGA Tour.
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After making the turn with a six-under 30, she kept things going, with birdies on four of her next six holes. At 10 under with three holes remaining, Ko’s chances seemed dashed when she missed a six-foot birdie putt on the par-5 seventh. Even so, she ran hard through the tape with a 20-foot birdie on the eighth hole and a seven-footer on the ninth to cap the memorable day.
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“I think the number 59 did cross my mind by the time I holed my birdie putt on 6, but it wasn’t like I had a lot of pressure to like break 60,” Ko said. “It was just more like ‘oh, it’s really cool to be in this position.’ … I felt like it was an added bonus if it did happen. If it didn’t, it’s fine. Still a really good round.”
Ko became the eighth player to shoot 60 on the LPGA Tour since 1980. Lucy Li was the most at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in 2024.
The 23-time LPGA winner needed just 25 putts on the day. Not bad considering Ko just put a new Scotty Cameron mallet putter this week, a big deal considering she rare changes putters.
“I felt like I holed some putts that I didn’t expect to go in and I got a few good breaks and also hit a few good shots,” Ko said.
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Lydia Ko needed just 25 putts en route to posting her 12-under 60 after putting a new Scotty Cameron mallet in the bag just two days earlier.
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“It’s been a while since I have tried a different model than my prototype that I have. It just rolled good. Went in the bag on Tuesday, and I think even [the Scotty Cameron reps] were kind of surprised that I was going to change. I felt like you never know until you play out there, obviously this has only been one round but it’s a good start. You know, really couldn’t have been any better.”
Of course, it helps when you hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation. Ko also found nine of 14 fairways off the tee, proving that everything was working on the day.
Despite shooting such an impressive score, she will carry only a one-shot lead into Friday’s second round. Hyo Joo Kim, defending champion of the event as well as a winner last week at the LPGA’s Fortinet Founders Cup, followed Ko into the clubhouse with a 11-under 61. Nelly Korda, the 2024 Ford Championship winner, is in third place after shooting a 63. All told, 14 players shot scores of 66 or lower.
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OK, so it was a red number day. But was there any disappointing from Ko in having come so close to making history? Not especially.
“Annika is the only one that has shot 59, so any record that matches Annika’s record is going to be pretty incredible,” Ko said. “I felt like I gave myself a good run at it and, I didn’t really feel that much pressure or extra nerves just because I was in that position.”
Mind you, Ko will surely celebrate the good day with her beloved dog, Kai. Asked what kind of 59 gear and tags she would’ve gotten for her Shiba Inu had she shot 59, Ko said: “I think 59 would’ve been my favorite number if I did break [60]. I mean, 60 still has a good sound to it. You never know until it happens.
“I don’t know if it’s ever going to happen. It would be pretty cool like I said earlier to kind of add to something that Annika has done as well.”
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