Jin Young Ko Shoots First Over-Par Round In Eight Months

Jin Young Ko blamed a poor putting display as her record run of under-par rounds came to an end during the first day of the Chevron Championship. 

The World No. 1 needed 34 putts to navigate Mission Hills Country Club, which led to a disappointing two-over 74 that has her eight shots off the lead held by Minjee Lee and Jennifer Kupcho and scrambling to make the weekend.

That brought the two-time major winner's streak of 34 consecutive under-par rounds to an end, a run which began back in July of last year. 

"I was hitting lots of great shots but my putting wasn't good on the greens," Ko said of her slow start to the first major of the year. "I couldn't see the break as much or speed, everything was wrong. I don't know what happened. But that's why I couldn't make anything today."

Indeed Ko, who also saw a run of 16 consecutive rounds in the 60s come to an end with a 71 at last week's JTCB Classic, failed to make a birdie on the Mission Hills layout that is hosting the first major of the year for the final time. 

Sixteen pars were punctured by two bogeys as the 26-year-old's quest to land a third major title failed to get off the ground on day one. Ahead of the 2022 season, the South Korean admitted she was still struggling with a left wrist injury that had given her problems last year, and she could be seen with it taped up both last week and this. 

She has, however, been eager to stress that this is purely a precautionary measure. Ko won on her first start of 2022 at the HSBC Women's World Championship and followed that up with T-4 finish at last week's JTCB Classic. 

She currently tops the world rankings ahead of Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko.