Martin Dempster: Has Lydia Ko made too many changes?

The problem with being so good is that blips can be blown out of proportion. At the same time, though, it will be very interesting indeed to see how Lydia Ko responds to a rare disappointment in her incredible career.

Lydia Ko changed her caddie, coach and equipment all at the same time. Picture: Getty.

The Kiwi’s missed cut in last week’s Kia Classic was only the second time she had suffered that fate in 95 LPGA starts, a stretch that began in 2012, when she was 14. It certainly shouldn’t be cause for Ko, pictured, to be reaching for the panic button, but was it partly her own fault?

Ko, after all, made all sorts of changes – caddie, coach and equipment – heading into the 2017 campaign and it makes you wonder if she has taken on more than she can chew at the one time.

We’ll see in this week’s ANA Inspiration, the first women’s major of the season. Ko is the defending champion and has another incentive to bounce back to form. Her world No 1 tag is under threat from Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, who will leapfrog Ko with a victory

The event in the California desert will provide a tasty appetiser for Ko & Co heading here for both the Ladies Scottish Open and Women’s British Open back-to-back at Dundonald Links and Kingsbarns this summer.