Lydia Ko says her new Callaway Golf Clubs passed their season-opening test with flying colors.
Ko made her debut as an LPGA rookie member tying for seventh Sunday at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. It was her first start since Callaway announced two weeks ago that it had signed Ko to a new equipment contract.
Ko, 16, says she sees no tweaks required with her clubs before she defends her title this week at the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open.
“I really like them, they feel good, and I think the change was good,” Ko said.
Ko showed no signs she’ll need time to adjust to her new arrangements. She was typically sharp in her ball striking in the Bahamas. She ranked third in hitting greens in regulation for the week on the Ocean Club Golf Course and was 12th in driving accuracy. She was 33rd in total putts.
Ko leapt straight to the top of the Rolex Rookie of the Year points list with 59 points, giving her a chance to go wire-to-wire in the ROY points race.
Ko was playing a mixed bag of clubs before signing with Callaway. She won in Canada last summer playing without a single Callaway club in her bag. Before winning the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters last month, she put Callaway’s X2 Hot driver in her bag. She also had some Callaway wedges.
All 14 clubs in Ko’s bag are now Callaway clubs, but she’s playing the Titleist ProV1 golf ball.
Here’s what was in her bag at the Pure Silk Bahamas Classic:
• Driver – X2 Hot Driver.
• Fairway woods – Big Bertha Pro 3-wood and 5-wood.
• Hybrids – X2 Hot Pro 20 degrees, X2 Hot Pro 23 degrees and X2 Hot 25 degrees.
• Irons – Apex Pro.
• Wedges – Mack Daddy 2, 56 degrees and 60 degrees.
• Putter – Odyssey 330 Mallet.