Jin Young Ko: ‘I train for golf like a fighter trains for a title bout’

Jin Young Ko like you've never seen her before.

World No.1 Jin Young Ko reflects on her elite mentality, the importance of YouTube, comparisons with Tiger Woods, and her obsession with Brooks Koepka and Brad Faxon.

1. What’s been your biggest achievement so far?
Winning so many awards in a single year. I received the Player of the Year, the Vare [lowest scoring average for the season], the Annika Major [best overall performance] … all in 2019. It was such a great honour to receive them.

RELATED: The 100 Most Influential People In Golf

2. You also made history by going 114 holes without a bogey in 2019, beating Tiger’s record streak. How special was that?
Well, [going] bogey-free is amazing round 18 holes, so 114 is cool, especially as I set a new record. Now I want to do it again… 115 holes bogey-free.

3. What was it like trying to make it as a golf professional in Korea?
When I started out with golf I was 10 and we were not that well off, so it was a struggle. When I turned pro at 20, we were in a lot of debt because my parents were supporting me. Until I had five or six wins, my household was still very much in debt, so it was hard.

4. Did any golfers inspire you growing up?
I always liked Brad Faxon. He’s great at putting. I met him at the US Open and we had a handshake before the round. I took one putt on the first three holes and I told my caddie, “I don’t want to wash my hands!”

5. Did you study Brad’s stroke? 
Yeah, a lot. Until I was 19, I watched videos of his putting every day on YouTube.

6. What is the lowest handicap you have ever played off?
I was off +8.

RELATED: The secrets of the Tour’s super coaches

7. What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
My father always told me: “No matter what you do, stamina is the key to success.” He never gave me golf tips but as a former boxer, he inspired me to be both physically and mentally fit for the game. I trained for golf like a fighter trains for a title bout.

8. Recommend us one golf drill to improve our game… 
Practice your golf swing with your back against a wall.

9. What’s been your most embarrassing moment on the course?
Whenever I have shanks. It’s quite hard to recover from that!

10. What’s your guilty pleasure?
I love ‘Chi-Maek’ – fried chicken and beer. It’s so good, Koreans cannot live without it!

11. Your YouTube channel has over 10,000 subscribers. Why did you start that up?
I wanted to really show my fans my daily life and I also wanted to personally record my life so that when I grow older, I can reminisce.

12. Can you recommend us a good golf book?
Dr. Bob Rotella’s Putting Out of Your Mind is great. It teaches athletes how to use their minds to reach their potential.

RELATED: Meghan MacLaren on why joint male-female events are vital for golf’s future

13. How would you fix slow play in the women’s game?
The simple fix would be to play with who is slower than you – and speed them up.

14. Given the power, what one thing would you change in golf?
I’d change the caddie system in the Korean golf community. It could be better.

15. Would you like to see more mixed events, with men and women competing on the same course?
If there were to be more mixed events, there will be more golf couples – and the women’s tours would be as big as the men’s.

16. Which course would you pay to play?
All the courses in Europe that rank top-10 in the world.

17. What’s your fantasy fourball?
Tiger, Rory and Brooks Koepka.

18. You’re a self-confessed Koepka fan. Why is that?
I met him in my dream [laughs] and we had really great time. It’s always fun watching him and he’s always poker faced. And also, I like a big guy.

Jin Young Ko is an ambassador for LG Signature, a manufacturer of ultra-premium home appliances and official sponsor of the Evian Championship. www.lgsignature.com

READ NEXT: Everything you need to know about the 2022 AIG Women’s Open