Jin Young Ko’s left wrist injury from last season is still bothering her as she prepares to make her season debut in Singapore.
“To be honest, I’m a little concerned about the state of my health, particularly my wrist,” Ko said via email to GolfChannel.com. “However, I am determined to do the remedial exercises, so I believe everything will be great.”
Ko has been suffering from pain in her left wrist since May 2021. She told GolfChannel.com that golfing exacerbates the agony. While Ko hasn’t been able to pinpoint a precise cause for her injury, she believes the pain is the result of overuse.
“I had remedial exercises, and since it aches less when I don’t golf, I wanted to be efficient at practicing while still giving myself enough time to rest,” Ko said of her offseason treatment.
Ko addressed the chronic soreness in her wrist a year ago by limiting her practice and playing time. In 2022, those habits have not changed.
The Korean decided not to compete in the LPGA Tour’s first three events in Florida. Ko will instead make her season debut on Thursday at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
Ko took extra time off after winning the CME Group Tour Championship in November, despite hardly being able to warm up, to reconnect with friends and family back home in Korea. She also spent time in Palm Springs, California, where she shared photographs of herself training for the next season on Instagram. Her work concentrated on strengthening the transition from her backswing to her downswing, she says GolfChannel.com. Her short game and putting were also top focuses, according to her.
The winter provided Ko with the opportunity to fine-tune her swing, but it was also an opportunity for her to recoup mentally after what she regarded as her most challenging year.
“I took the opportunity to recover and exercise appropriately,” Ko stated of her tour break. “As well as taking enough time for myself and thinking about how to move forward in my life as an athlete and as a person.”
After a difficult 2021, Ko has a lot to think about.
Ko’s grandmother in Korea grew unwell and died in March while participating on the LPGA Tour in the United States. Ko was unable to return home to say farewell in person due to the pandemic’s travel restrictions. Her anguish, both physical and emotional, had taken its toll on her. She was exhausted by October. She openly expressed her desire to simply grab a bite to eat and watch Netflix. She stopped practicing almost totally for the final two events of the season because of the pain in her wrist. Ko only took full swings with her 52-degree wedge during her warm-up sessions at the final.
Given all Ko has been through, her accomplishments are all the more astounding.
Between July and November, the Korean won five times in nine starts, dethroning Nelly Korda as Rolex Player of the Year.
Ko proved not only that she can play through pain, but also that she can win without practicing, as evidenced by her strong finish to last season. And, while she may be concerned about how her body will hold up when she begins her season in Singapore, she isn’t letting that deter her from achieving her LPGA goals this year.
“Setting a goal of winning a major title is always exciting. “It’s the same this year,” the two-time major winner stated. “I’ll give it my all to win.”
