And so history repeats itself. Once again this year, Jin-Young Ko arrives at Evian as a huge favourite. It's a status she maintains from one season to the next, regardless of any challenges or growing competition. Yet the world number one hasn't won a Major since The Amundi Evian Championship 2019, almost four years ago – quite an anomaly for a player of her calibre.

Where it all began
Long before she became the player we know today, the South Korean sharpened her skills and honed every aspect of her game on the LPGA of Korea Tour. It might be a less high-profile circuit, but it is just as competitive. You only have to look at the world rankings to realise just how powerful Asian golf is: 53 of the current top-100 female players come from there. After turning pro at the age of 18 in 2013, the Seoul native took some time to settle in at the highest level but notched up her first victory at the Nefs Masterpiece in August 2014. The following year, Jin-Young Ko switched up a gear, sending a clear message to her rivals: before heading to the United States, she would be taking everything she could on the way. With almost clinical composure, she picked up an impressive array of trophies, finishing 2015, 2016 and 2017 with three titles each season. That taken care of, it was time to take on the elite and embark on the LPGA Tour.

Although a newcomer to the North American tour, she set the tone straight away with a win at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open. The message couldn’t have been clearer: she was on her way to becoming a world-class player, the kind that opponents fear as much as they admire. In 2018, in addition to thirteen top 10 finishes, she played in all five majors for the first time in her career, breaking into the top-30 on three occasions. The story of her relentless rise to the top continued, but all that she had accomplished so far was nothing compared to what lay ahead.

2019, a masterclass

With not a single missed cut, twelve top 10 finishes and four victories, including two Majors, Jin-Young Ko’s record speaks for itself: in 2019, she (over)dominated women’s world golf. A symphony performed to perfection, with a conductor more magnificent than ever. The year had barely begun and the South Korean had already elevated her discipline with her astounding talent, finishing on five of the first six podiums in the tournaments she contested. After winning the Bank of Hope Founders Cup, she repeated the feat two weeks later at the ANA Inspiration, her first Major. While the PGA Tour was still in search of a king, although delighted to see Tiger back in the green jacket, the LPGA Tour had found its queen. In sparkling form, Jin-Young Ko put in a repeat performance at Evian in July. The frenetic pace of the latest Major winner was far too much for her opponents, who could only bow to their rival’s prowess. With a two-shot lead and the admiration of a crowd that had eyes only for her, the South Korean added a second major victory to her honours list when she triumphed at The Amundi Evian Championship. Two weeks later, she added a fourth and final title to her 2019 season, which remains her most memorable to date. A vintage year, the likes of which we have rarely enjoyed.

A four-year drought

As any top athlete in history will tell you, when you win a leading international competition, you need to fully appreciate it. This is particularly true in golf where sporting performance is just one factor among many others in the quest for success. Except for Rory McIlroy, Jin-Young Ko probably knows this better than anyone. The South Korean, now aged 27, has not held high a major championship trophy for four years, an eternity for a player whose participation in the late Sunday rounds have become par for the course. Just imagine: since her Evian win in 2019, she has competed in fourteen majors and produced seven top-10 finishes. Staggering statistics even though none of them have led to a third Grand Slam title. For all of her career achievements, for all that she represents and for all her fans around the world, we hope to see her a major championship winner again. So goodbye to just missing out on victory for so many years, it’s time to get back on track.