Lydia Ko is well aware of what could be done for New Zealand golf this weekend.
“For us to, kind of, come on all these different tours and show the New Zealand flag I think it would be super exciting.”
Ko is referencing the chance for her and Ryan Fox to complete a never-done-before Kiwi treble in major golf tours around the world. She’s in line to win the LPGA Tour’s CME Globe for the season-long standings while Fox can do the same on the European Tour, starting tonight in Abu Dhabi.
“It’s a bit surreal, to be honest,” Fox said at one of his many media duties this week.
“If you’d have said this at the start of the year, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But, it’s been an amazing season and hopefully I can finish it off this week.”
Fox’s task is slightly tougher than Ko’s. 22-year-old Ko leads the tour standings heading into their last event, the Tour Championship, in Florida.
Fox sits second by a small margin, but behind world number one Rory McIlroy. There are numerous mathematical equations where Fox could win the overall gong but lifting the tournament trophy is the most obvious.
“I’m not trying to think about it too much. Rory’s the best player in the world, he’s obviously the favourite, but to be in this position is great and I’ve got nothing to lose this week,” Fox explained.
“I won’t do anything different to what I’ve been doing all year. I’ll just go out and try and beat the golf course.”
Fox would be the second Kiwi after Michael Campbell to achieve the feat.
“Cambo’s an idol of mine in that sense. I grew up watching a lot of golf. He stopped a nation pretty much in 2005 when he won the US Open, so to follow him would be pretty cool.”
Both would follow in the footsteps of Steven Alker, whose remarkable year on the Champions Tour saw him crowned Charles Schwab Cup champion last week.
“It’d certainly be a nice trifecta if we can manage it,” Fox smiled.
While Ko is equally enthused as to what it could possibly do for the game here.
“I think it’s very exciting for golf in New Zealand and hopefully this inspires more juniors to take it up and want to be the next Steven Alker or the next Ryan Fox or me.”
While they’d possibly all prefer major victories, a Kiwi treble would be one of the most memorable weeks in New Zealand golf history.
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