A Rare First for Lydia Ko

There aren't very many "firsts" left for Lydia Ko when it comes to golf. Her first professional win came in 2012 at the ripe old age of 14. Her first LPGA victory followed seven months later at 15. Her first major victory was in 2015 as an 18-year-old. (The only person to win a major at a younger age is some fellow appropriately named Young Tom Morris.) Her first Olympic medal came in 2016. When you're a child prodigy, the "firsts" are long gone by the time you enter your 20s.

And yet this week, almost exactly 12 years to the day since she turned professional, Ko is experiencing a criminally overdue first. She's making her debut in the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown. Team match play finally includes one of the all-time greats.

Ko's inclusion is a result of the newly created World Team, which consists of the top-ranked player from the following regions, not from a country already qualified: Asia, Africa/Oceania, Europe, and the Americas. It's a tad convoluted, yes, but it's solved a decades-old problem for women's golf and added an exciting new layer to the International Crown.

Ever since Seri Pak opened the floodgates for Asian golfers with her 1998 U.S. Women's Open win, the sport has struggled to bring to life a team competition that includes all of the best players in the world. The International Crown made progress on that front when it was introduced in 2014, but Ko and a few other high-profile players were still left on the sidelines. With the addition of the World Team, this year's field includes 20 of the top-25 players in the world and finally feels complete. That number would be higher if it weren't for injuries to Nelly Korda and Ariya Jutanugarn.

Unsurprisingly, the early returns for the World Team experiment are very, very good. In addition to Ko, the team includes Canadian Brooke Henderson, England's Charley Hull, and Chinese Taipei’s Wei-Ling Hsu. Fans were treated to a Ko and Hull power pairing to kick off the first round. Facing Japanese rookie sensations Miyu Yamashita and Rio Takeda, Ko birdied the 17th and 18th holes to tie the match. She delivered exactly what the LPGA dreamed up when the World Team idea came to life: Two of the sport's most recognizable and popular players hugging on the 18th green after securing a half point.

If the World Team makes it to the semifinals on Sunday, there's a chance Ko could play in foursomes. That would mean yet another first. The first time Ko, arguably the best wedge player in the world, would be playing alternate shot, arguably the best format in the game, in a meaningful match. It's a format she should thrive in, where her touch around the greens means her team is never out of a hole. It's a shame we've only seen her play it with Jason Day in the silliest of silly season events, the Grant Thornton Invitational.

After waiting far too long for the powers that be to get Ko involved, you'll forgive me if I want to stretch out this week for as long as possible and watch Ko add a few more “firsts” to her long list of accomplishments.