Boxing training fuels Ko's drive in golf

The foundations of world No. 1 Ko Jin-young's dominance in golf were laid early in her childhood - not on the golf course, but in the boxing ring.

The South Korean was born into a family of boxers - her father Ko Sung-tae and late grandfather Ko Ik-joo were both boxers - and the former got her into the sport at a young age with the intention of training her to be able to fend for herself.

She would spar with boys and have rope-skipping competitions with her father, who was as determined as her to win.

While she no longer does boxing, that competitive spirit has stuck with her and has been key to her staying at the pinnacle of the world rankings since July 2019.

"My father is strong, he has a strong mentality. He wanted me to be a strong person - I'm the only child and he worried too much about me. I'm the only girl and he wanted me to also win against men," said the 25-year-old, who is in Singapore for the HSBC Women's World Championship starting tomorrow.

"When I was younger, I was in competition with my father a lot. So my father wanted to be stronger than me and I wanted to be stronger than him too.

"Having the world No. 1 ranking is not easy. If I'm playing better and better, I can keep this position one, two months or even more."

Her family remains a crucial pillar of support and was one of the reasons behind her successful return to the LPGA Tour last year.

After a stellar 2019 that saw her win two Majors, the Covid-19 pandemic brought the sport to a halt.

Even though the LPGA Tour restarted last July, Ko opted to compete on the Korean LPGA circuit, where she earned four top-10 finishes across six starts.

She returned to the LPGA Tour in November and despite playing only four tournaments, she closed the season with her seventh LPGA Tour victory at the CME Group Tour Championship.

"I spent time in Korea with my family, dog and friends so I had good (opportunity to recharge) in Korea, so I played really good in the United States," said Ko.

This year, she has had four top-10 finishes in five starts, with her best display a tie for third at last week's Los Angeles Open.

Ko, who finished tied third and tied sixth at the previous two editions of the Sentosa event, is seeking her first win of the season.

She said: "My game is getting better from first tournament (at Gainbridge LPGA) in February. So I hope to come to the winners' circle soon, and I will focus on my game and fight with heart."