Lydia Ko makes NIGHTMARE quadruple bogey at Pebble Beach
Lydia Ko's U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach got off to a rocky start on Thursday.
Lydia Ko probably wants the par-3 5th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links back.
Ko is in California this week with the rest of the top professionals for the 78th running of the U.S. Women's Open.
This year, for the first time, the tournament is being played at the storied Pebble Beach course which has hosted countless men's events in the past.
Currently ranked third in the world, Ko was one of the favourites heading into the women's major championship this week.
The New Zealand star already has 19 career LPGA Tour wins, including two major championships at just 26 years old.
Ko stunned the golf world when she first turned professional in 2013 at just 16 years old and was subsequently granted LPGA Tour membership for 2014 by then-commissioner Mike Whan, who is now the USGA CEO.
1-under thru 1 for Lydia Ko
Watch the @uswomensopen now on @USANetwork! pic.twitter.com/NmYdZKIenS— LPGA (@LPGA) July 6, 2023
On Thursday, Ko was playing in a star-studded group with fellow former child prodigy Brooke Henderson and the newest young phenom, Rose Zhang.
Despite being the top-ranked player in the group with the most victories, Ko found herself falling behind her two playing partners thanks to a disastrous time on the par-3 5th hole of Pebble Beach.
After making a birdie on the first, Ko arrived at the 182-yard 5th at 1-under par.
But that would quickly change after she hit a incredibly-left shot off the tee into what's listed on the USGA website as "unknown."
4️⃣ Lydia Ko hit a massive hook on the par 3, 5th. She ended up making a quadruple bogey. #USWomensOpen
pic.twitter.com/3jcgRzfmot— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 6, 2023
After taking a penalty, she hit a second shot from the tee box, and though it was an improvement from her first, it still landed in the greenside bunker.
Things then went from bad to worse as Ko failed to land her bunker shot onto the green, instead hitting it just 22 feet into the rough.
Her next chip - her fifth shot on the par-3 - still left her over eight feet to the cup. She two-putted from there to card an ugly quadruple-bogey 7 on the hole.
Ko quickly went from 1-under to 3-over. She ultimately recorded a 4-over 76 at Pebble Beach and was tied for 83rd after 18 holes.
She was eight strokes back of the leaders with work cut out for her to make the cut.
Henderson had the best day of the group with a 1-under 71 and was tied for 13th, while Zhang shot a 2-over 74 and was tied for 39th.
