NAPLES, Fla. — Lydia Ko’s mother, Tina, was walking the first hole of Tiburon Golf Club during the second round of the L.P.G.A. season finale when two men stopped her in her tracks. “Your daughter’s awesome,” one said as the other nodded enthusiastically. The speaker expounded his thought. “She hits a bad shot and seconds later she’s laughing. She is so relaxed.”
To fully appreciate what makes Ko special, it helps to see her in person, because her charisma cannot be captured in the quick cutaway shots that make up televised golf coverage. In the seconds before and after she hits, her face is locked in concentration, like that of a pirouetting dancer focused on her spotting point.