Rolex world No. 1 Lydia Ko watched Ariya Jutanugarn turn up the heat on her in a world rankings push last year.
Jutanugarn rocketed from No. 63 at the start of last year to No. 2.
Ko and Jutanugarn will face off for the first time this year in the same event beginning Thursday at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. That’s Wednesday night in the United States (Golf Channel telecast Wednesday begins at 9 p.m. ET).
Ko says she isn’t focused on the push that Jutanugarn and other young challengers made last year.