Golf: Can Lydia Ko snap year-long drought?

Lydia Ko. Photo / Getty

It's been a year since Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko last won an LPGA tournament, but the world No.4 is confident she can rediscover that form at the upcoming Marathon Classic in Ohio.

The Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania is a happy hunting ground for Ko - she has won it twice, and finished in the top seven on two other occasions.

Last year she defeated Mirim Lee and current world No.2 Ariya Jutanugarn in a three-way play-off on the fourth extra hole to secure the title.

Ko's form since then has been consistently inconsistent, despite managing seven top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour this season.

In her latest tournament, the US Women's Open last week, she sat third after the opening day only to card three successive over-par rounds to finish in a share of 33rd.

Yet Ko feels she's not too far off the form that triggered an 85-week run as world No.1 until she was deposed in mid-June.

"I know that I'm playing solid enough," she told the LPGA Tour website.

"I've just got to focus on my game and try and get better in the aspects that need improvement - just kind of move on and be positive, and not really get down on the fact that I haven't won in some period of time."

The Korea-born 20-year-old says she's still feeling positive about her game, and trying to stay patient.

"I feel like the puzzle pieces are there, but I've been struggling to kind of put those pieces together.

"Sometimes that's almost the hardest bit, where you feel like those little pieces are there but (you need) to connect it and put them all into good rounds."

The Marathon Classic kickstarts a busy three weeks for Ko, who also has the Scottish and British Opens lined up.

"You just have to be patient and confident, and every week is a new week."

- NZN