LYDIA KO'S COACH READY TO JUMP IN LAKE FOR THIRD TIME

FROM THE STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE
Like any 14-year-old, there is a touch of mischief in Lydia Ko and added to her motivation these coming days at Royal Pines is the prospect of her New Zealand coach Guy Wilson jumping into a lake for a third week running but with a difference.
This time, should she win the RACV Australian Ladies Masters starting today, he must be dressed as a woman with full make-up and a golf bag over his shoulder rather than just in normal golfing clobber as he has done after her win in the Australian Amateur title two weeks ago and again after victory in the Women's NSW Open last Sunday.
Wilson, Ko's only coach since she started playing aged six, normally caddies for her but was missing for both wins due to duties as head coach with New Zealand's Institute of Golf.
He's back on the bag this week and again next week at the Women's Australian Open at Royal Melbourne. "I will have had three different caddies in the last three weeks. Hopefully this one's good. The other two were good," she said with a girlish giggle.
Wilson shakes his head in astonishment with what the young woman has achieved in golf. Only now does he dare to think of what lies in store.
"I'm enjoying every moment of it. I'm jumping on as many websites to see what she's doing and how she's handling the media and how people perceive her. It's cool. She's just being herself, she's starting to open up and joke and carry on as she normally does, as a 14-year-old does and should do. I'm as proud as punch," Wilson said.
"I wouldn't have even thought that something like this would happen so, yes, it's been a lot of hard work, tough work, to get her to where she is. She's a willing student, she never questions the hard work she does, and she trusts our team and just get it does."
There is a dark side to many golfing parents who push their daughters to almost inhumane lengths for success. At Oatlands last Saturday one poor lass was in tears when she'd hit her driver badly and her father told her she couldn't play. But he relented when told it would incur a $500 fine - "I don't have the money," he said.
On Ko's parents Wilson said: "They are a lot more strict and firm than your normal Kiwi family, probably more than your average Aussie family, and that's half the reason she is where she is today.''
Ko is excited being paired with 16-year-old American sensation Lexi Thompson and Australian Kristie Smith over the next two days. She feels just a little in awe of them because they're both long hitters, but she's not too dusty herself. Ad Feedback
''But, Lexi is a head taller than me,'' she said of the height difference. ''I just want to enjoy it out there, treat it like any other round. My goal is to just make the cut.''
Quite sensible too. It was a good field at Oatlands, but this week is a class above. There are 43 LPGA Tour players of various categories, two reigning major champions - Nabisco winner American Stacy Lewis and US Women's Open Champion Korean So-Yoon Ryu - plus six-time major champion Laura Davies.
Apart from her major, Lewis had 11 other top 10 finishes in the US last year. Plus, throw in English girl Melissa Reid who was dudded by the rules of the Ladies European Tour last year when it came to the Order of Merit winner. Japan's Ai Miyazato won one event - the Evian Masters - and missed the cut in her only other event - the Women's British Open.
Reid won twice and had eight other top 10 finishes. The Evian first money won by Miyazato was more than Reid's tally in 19 events, but the Ladies European Tour has no minimum number of events to qualify to win the Order of Merit.