AIG Women's Open preview: Lydia Ko aims to be the next New Zealand winner at Royal Lytham & St Annes

Lydia Ko hopes to give New Zealand golf fans further cause for celebration in this week’s AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Ko, the 2024 champion at St Andrews, tees off a fortnight after fellow Kiwi Ryan Fox won the men’s tournament at Royal Birkdale.

Victory on the Fylde coast would also see her emulate another New Zealand major champion, Sir Bob Charles, who took top spot at the 1963 Open.

Speaking on Wednesday, Ko said: “I would love to kind of keep the dice rolling, super excited for Foxy and the whole of golf New Zealand for his win just up the road at Birkdale.

“I don’t think I’ve been that nervous and that excited watching somebody else play. Just his whole back nine and the way he played over the weekend was incredible.

“It would be cool to channel my inner Foxy, his fearlessness, out there these next few days.

“I was on the west coast in the US so there was quite a bit of time difference here.

“It’s a good thing that the tee times were a little later so I got to start watching towards the end of his front nine.

“I went to work out and everywhere I went I was like ‘please turn on The Open’. It ended up not working on the TV, so I had my trainer turn it on my cell phone.

“I can’t remember my workout at all because my whole focus was there. As soon as I got home, he was on the 18th and when I saw that drive I was so relieved but so excited, super pumped.

“It was emotional for me. I can only imagine what it was like for him. Being only the second New Zealander on the men’s side to have won The Open Championship is so special.

“I heard that Sir Bob won it here and it’s (Birkdale) only less than an hour away. For them to have both won in this region is super exciting.”

Ko tied for 11th place when the Women’s Open last came to RL&SA in 2018, finishing 11 shots behind Georgia Hall.

With Charles having won at the Fylde coast links and Fox triumphing 35 miles away at Birkdale, she admits it would be a dream to complete a Southern Hemisphere hat-trick in the North West.

“I think it would be very special,” Ko added. “I think this is the toughest Women’s Open championship venue I have played.

“I don’t know what I thought when I played in 2018. I might have been in a lot of bunkers that are on the golf course that are in my memory bank.

“It actually feels like a very new course to me. I know they made a little bit of adjustments on a couple of the holes.

“It’s a hard golf course. Even on a pretty perfect day like today it’s playing hard.

“When you win on that kind of calibre of golf course, I think it’s always something that you come off feeling extra proud.

“With Foxy having won The Open, I think it would be very meaningful and I think very empowering for golf in New Zealand.”

As for Charles, he thinks that Fox could have made it back-to-back men’s Open titles by the time it returns to the Fylde in 2028.

St Andrews will stage next year’s 155th Open and Charles is tipping Fox to defend his crown.

He told the R&A: “I think this is going to be a great shot in the arm for New Zealand golf.

“Ryan has been flying the flag for some time and he’ll continue to do that.

“We have a lot of young talent down here and I’m sure that this will inspire them to step up a peg or two.”

Fox spent just 22 seconds over the pressure putt which won the championship by a single shot from Cameron Young.

The first left-hander to win a Major, Charles added: “He is a breath of fresh air. I’m all in favour of someone who gets on with the game.

“Ryan is absolutely brilliant to watch and I’m going to put my money on him for a repeat next year.”