The left wrist injury that hampered Jin Young Ko last season continues to be a problem for the world's best player as she prepares to start the 2022 season in Singapore.

Jin Young Ko ready to start season despite wrist injury

Jin Young Ko – ©LG전자 via Wikimedia Commons

"To be honest, I'm a little worried about the state of my body, especially my wrist", Jin Young Ko told our colleagues at GolfChannel.com via email. "But I'm persistent with the rehabilitation exercises, so I think everything will be fine. »

Since May 2021, Ko has battled continuous pain in his left wrist. She explains that the pain got even worse with the intensive practice of golf. Although she was unable to provide a specific diagnosis for her injury, Ko says the pain is likely due to the heavy strain on her wrist.

"I did corrective exercises, so that I suffer less pain when I'm not playing golf, I tried to be efficient in training and give myself enough time to rest and recover at the same time", Jin Young Ko said of the treatment she received during the offseason.

Limiting practice and play time were two of the ways Ko used to alleviate the ongoing pain in his wrist a year ago. These habits continue into 2022.

The Korean chose not to play the first three events of the LPGA Tour season in Florida. Instead, Jin Young Ko will make her season debut at the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore on Thursday.

Since November's CME Group Tour Championship, which she won when she was barely able to warm up, Ko has taken extra time off to reconnect with friends and family in Korea. She also spent time in Palm Springs, Calif., where she posted photos on Instagram of herself getting ready for the upcoming season. She says her training focused on improving the transition between her backswing and downswing. She also says her short game and putting were high priorities.

If the offseason allowed Ko to refine her swing, it especially gave her the opportunity to pull herself together mentally after what she describes as the most difficult year of her career.

“I took the time to rest and do appropriate exercises”, Jin Young Ko said of his break from the circuit. “I also took enough time for myself and thought about how to move forward in my life as an athlete and as an individual. »

Ko had a lot to think about after a tough 2021.

While competing in the United States on the LPGA Tour, Ko's grandmother in Korea fell ill and died in March. Due to travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Ko was unable to return home to say goodbye in person. The pain she endured, both physically and emotionally, left her exhausted. In October, she was tired. She was open about wanting to grab a bite to eat and watch Netflix. And as the pain in her wrist persisted throughout the final two events of the season, she almost entirely stopped training. During his warm-up sessions in the final, Ko only completed full swings with his 52-degree wedge.

Considering what Jin Young Ko has been through, what she managed to do is even more impressive.

Between July and November, the Korean won five in nine starts and snatched the title of Rolex Player of the Year from Nelly Korda.

As evidenced by her thriving end to the season, Jin Young Ko has proven that she can not only perform through pain, but also win without training. And while she's starting her season in Singapore wondering if her body will hold up, she's not letting those worries affect her goals for this year on the LPGA.

“It's always very exciting to set a goal to win a Slam tournament. This year, it's the same.", said the two-time major winner. “I will do my best to win. »

To read our last article on the same subject :

VOA Classic: Jin Young Ko winner, Herbin and Boutier top-10