Lydia Ko is back in action at this weekend’s Grant Thornton Invitational, where some of the best players from the men’s and women’s games join forces.
World number one Nelly Korda was set to team up with Tony Finau but will now tee it up alongside Daniel Beger after Finau’s latest withdrawal. Elsewhere, Rickie Fowler will join Lexi Thompson, and Ko will be partnered by one-time major winner Jason Day.
Ko and Day won the 2023 edition at Tiburon Golf Club, and the LPGA star has delivered some extremely high praise for the former world number one.
Lydia Ko: Jason Day the best player she’s ever seen on PGA Tour
Speaking during her press conference on Thursday, Ko suggested that Day is actually the best player she’s ever seen up close.
“Yeah, Jason’s results in the past and everything, it really speaks for itself,” she said. “When you see it in person, you realise, wow, this is why he is who he is.
“I actually told multiple people this: of all the players I’ve played with, Jason’s game, whether it was ball-striking, with the driver, iron, wedges and putting, overall, was actually the best player I’ve seen.”
Lydia Ko looking to end remarkable 2024 on a high
Few players could reach Day’s extremely high level during his prime, and he was justifiably the world’s number one player. Whether he returns to his previous best remains to be seen, however.
As for Ko, it’s been some year for the New Zealander. Ko’s AIG Women’s Open victory was her third major and came just weeks after she clinched the Olympic gold medal in Paris.
If it wasn’t for Korda’s form this season, there’s no doubt Ko would’ve been named Player of the Year on the LPGA Tour.
In fact, Korda would probably swap her seven victories to have Ko’s dramatic win at the Old Course on her record book.
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