Why Isn't There More Lydia Ko Hoopla And Hype?

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As far as female athletes on the planet, it's hard to fathom any woman in her league right now. And there certainly is no male golfer posting the kind of numbers Lydia Ko is turning on the eve of the LPGA's first major at Mission Hills.

Doug Ferguson on her astounding 28-round under par-streak that has her 94-under in seven worldwide starts. It's all on the line in round one of the ANA Inspiration (aka The Dinah), plus other impressive numbers.

She has yet to miss the cut in her 48 events on the LPGA Tour. That includes 15 starts as an amateur, and she won two of them, both at the Canadian Women's Open.

Ko is a combined 90 under par during her streak of sub-par rounds that dates to the final round of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. Sorenstam was 100 under when she ran off 29 straight rounds under par. That streak included two majors, and that's what Ko is lacking.

And doing it all with such class, as Karen Crouse notes in the New York Times:

The coolheaded Ko seems to belie the notion of the impetuousness of youth. “I know someone who does it better than me, that’s Inbee,” Ko said, referring to the world No. 2, Inbee Park of South Korea. “She has the same poker face. Sometimes, it may be idiotic, when I make a stupid bogey I just laugh.” She added, “I just try to simplify things.”

Ko took all questions about her pursuit of greatness in her pre-ANA presser Wednesday. From GolfChannel.com:


And then there is her new media savy, as evidenced in this new piece shot around San Francisco, just posted and demonstrating her ease in front of a camera, notes SB Nation's Emily Kay.

Ko tees off at 11 am ET Thursday.

Rory, British Press Hit NYC To Pre-Celebrate Career Grand Slam

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Kicking off his coronation as the next career Grand Slam winner, Rory McIlroy hosted several members of the British golf media last weekend at some of Northern Irishman’s favorite New York City nightclubs. According to eyewitnesses, McIlroy and father Gerry listened intently during sometimes emotional toasts from writers and television presenters saluting his forthcoming Masters win and third straight major victory.

“It was moving to see so many media members open up and profess just how much Rory means to their lives,” said golf blogger Stephanie Wei, who happened to be at The Electric Room when Rory and his entourage arrived just after the bar’s 11 p.m. opening. Wei said the McIlroy group was trailed by representatives of outlets including BBC, Sky Sports, The Times, The Irish Independent, The Irish Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph The Daily Mail, Scotland on Sunday, The Scotsman and even Rory’s hometown paper, The Holywood Pence Saver.

“There were several toasts and hip-hip-hoorays, even a salute to the Queen,” Wei said. “At one point I looked over and saw Rory roll up his shirt and flex his biceps. Several of the group were touching his muscles in awe. It was a bit much.”

As a DJ spun hip-hop tunes, two media members--who Wei refused to identify--shed tears while toasting Rory for not being like Tiger. Each media type ended their salutes by hugging the golfing great as father Gerry encircled the hug to make it a group embrace. After the unusually public show of emotion, several media members awarded a fake Masters green jacket to McIlroy and took a group selfie with the presumptive winner.

Just as the party appeared to be wrapping up well past the normal writer bedtime, Rory stood on one of the Electric Room’s leather booth seats and yelled out, “Come on you wankers, it’s only 1 am, let’s show Chelsea that golf writers are the dope!”

Various media members were seen fetching cabs as McIlroy and his entourage jumped in a black SUV destined for 1Oak, another favorite haunt from Rory’s previous major championship celebrations.

At one point, Rory and his media friends were seen using a homeless man’s cane to re-enact the infamous club hurl from Doral. But at 3:30 am, the NYPD was called to West 17th Street when neighbors reported a ruckus involving the media members haggling with a Halal Guys food cart vendor. The man reportedly refused to give the scribes separate receipts for their grilled purchases.