It's hard to consider anything that Lydia Ko has done in professional golf as disappointing, but it's at least surprising that the 20-year-old from New Zealand hasn't won, or even really been in contention, during the 2017 LPGA season.
If there's one event and one course where Ko can get back on track, it's the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark.
Beginning Friday, Ko will be one of the favorites in this 54-hole event based on her performance in the tournament over the past four years. Ko won this championship last year, finished second to University of Arkansas alum and local favorite Stacy Lewis in 2014 and ended up fourth in 2013 and sixth in 2015.
Trying to keep Ko from a repeat victory will be 143 other golfers, including 12 of the top 20 players in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings. That list includes eight winners from the LPGA's 2017 season and six past champions of this event.
The 6,391-yard course designed by Tulsa's Randy Heckenkemper will play to a par of 71.
The field is focused on the total purse of $2 million, of which $300,000 will go to the winner.
It's the 11th consecutive year that the LPGA has visited the state of Arkansas for this tournament. The event has had champions from five countries -- Taiwan, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the United States.
The balance of play on the LPGA Tour had produced 15 different winners of the 15 tournaments so far this year. Ko is a notable absentee from that list as the former world No. 1 player has been out of the winner's circle since the Marathon Classic 11 months ago.
Last year, Ko shot a tournament-record, 17-under 196 to garner a three-stroke victory over Candie Kung of Taiwan and Morgan Pressel.
"I think I'm coming in with some confidence and a lot of positives," Ko said. "When I'm out there playing, I'm not trying to think about the pressure and expectations. All I can do is try my best and do my best on the shot in front of me. That's the kind of mindset I've been taking.
"It's a really good golf course, and you have to be smart. There are a lot of birdies out there. But it can get really hot, so that is something that you kind of have to pay attention to."
This week also marks the first LPGA event for Ai Miyazato since announcing that she will retire at the end of the 2017 season. Miyazato, who is from Japan, spent 11 weeks atop the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings in 2010 and her last LPGA victory came at the 2012 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
"I love this tournament because everything is very organized and the local people are very supportive," Miyazato said. "It's always nice to be here, so I'm very excited."
Miyazato, who celebrated her 32nd birthday on Monday, says she may play one or two more events in her home country.
"I'm glad I made the decision to retire because I believe I'm still young and I love this sport and I still have a passion to do something with the golf," she said.
This week's Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is the 16th event in the season-long Race to the CME Globe. World No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand is currently atop the standings with 2,128 points, followed by Lexi Thompson (2,086 points) and So Yeon Ryu of South Korea (1,695 points).
