Lydia Ko claims LPGA Tour Championship

Lydia Kop ended her rookie year on the LPGA Tour that ended Monday with a win after four extra frames. All four playoffs were played on the par-4 18th hole, and Kop gripped down with the hybrid club when making driver swing and second shot. This contrasted with Spain`s Carlota Ciganda who had a three-wood and three-iron. Ko`s average driving distance was 249 yards (66th place) while power hitter Ciganda`s was 268 yards (5th).

Ko`s decision to use this club proved ideal in targeting the 18th hole, the second most difficult in all holes. She hit her tee shot down to the right side of the fairway and hit second shot for the golf ball to land right to the pin, to retain her par.

Ordinary golfers can also raise accuracy when they grab the club short for tee shots, when the fairway is narrow and when the holes have risk factors like hazard. Koh Deok-ho (Douglas Koh), director of instruction at Paradise Golf, said, "When grabbing the driver 2 inches shorter and hitting a swing like hitting five-iron instead of three-wood flat, it is easy to hit the ball into sweet spot."

Han Yeon-hee, former Korean national golf director who taught female golfer Kim Hyo-joo, said, "It seems that Lydia Kop held it short to control distance. It is better in normal times too to grab the club so as to leave the end of the grip by 1 inch. Yet one should be careful that when grabbing it short the left hand gets powerful and can end in a slice."