Lydia Ko's last chance to break major record

Lydia Ko has one last chance to become the youngest woman to clinch a major title. Photo / The Canadian Press via AP

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko says there's a good reason she hasn't yet managed to clinch a major title - majors are tough.

The world No.2 has one last chance to become the youngest woman to clinch a major title when she tees off at Evian Championship in France tonight.

The 18-year-old can usurp American Morgan Pressel, who won the Kraft Nabisco Championship at 18 years and 10 months in 2007, if successful at the $5.2 million tournament over the weekend.

Ko came close to winning women's golf's fifth major as a 16-year-old amateur two years ago when she finished runner-up to Norway's Suzann Pettersen, before finishing eighth last year.

Her solid track record in Evians-Les-Baines and strong recent form, including victory at the Canadian Pacific Open three weeks ago, will be a boost to the teen's confidence heading into the final major of the year.

Speaking at the pre-tournament press conference, Ko says the stakes are raised when the major tournaments roll around each year.

"We're all trying to peak at the majors," said Ko, who has eight LPGA titles to her name.
"And major courses, they're tough. I mean, all courses we play, they have some tough holes but especially in the majors, the scores aren't crazy low. It shows that you need a lot of concentration, a lot of focus out there."

One player who is a proven performer in majors is Korea's Inbee Park, who is looking to complete a career grand slam in France this weekend.

Park has won six of the last 14 majors dating back to the 2013 Kraft Nabisco Championship and no other player has won more than one during that span.

The Evian Championship remains the only gap on Park's CV, although she won the event back in 2012 - the year before it was designated as a major.

Park can't necessarily spell out her recipe for success on golf's biggest stages but she does know she fully devotes herself to those five weeks of the year.

"I don't know. I really can't explain why I am good at major tournaments, really, because if I look at the number of wins, I won 16 events is it, and seven of them is majors, so it's a really big percentage compared to other players," said Park.

"I don't know, just maybe I am just comfortable when I play the major championships. I feel like I have 100 percent concentration when I play the major championships. It really feels like a real golf tournament. I think just the success that I've had in the past, that gives me a lot of confidence going into the major championships."