THE WOODLANDS, Tex. — On Wednesday, Jasmine Koo’s focus was squarely on fast food chicken. After learning that her college golf team had been selected for the Lexington Regional in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, the USC freshman came up with dinner plans that you might expect from a college student.
“We’re going to Kentucky for regionals, and when that regionals got picked I texted into our team group chat and I was like, ‘We have to go to KFC. We have to go to KFC,'” Koo said. “So that’s basically it. Course looks good. Fits our team.”
On Thursday, however, Koo wasn’t worrying about chicken, but instead made her second start at the 2025 Chevron Championship, the first LPGA major of the 2025 schedule. It’s a tournament the funny phenom has had success in — a year ago, she was the low amateur at the Club at Carlton Woods when she got a bounce for the ages off some sponsor signage on the finishing hole.
Although the sign she hit has since been removed, Koo didn’t need it in the first round, firing an impressive 2-under 70 that had her in solid position through the opening day of play.
“My game felt really good today. I think I did a really good job staying patient,” she said after a round that paired five birdies with three bogeys. “There were some shots that I didn’t really like, but overall stayed really patient. Caddie helped with that. Made some smart decisions coming in.”
Last year, Koo did get that lucky bounce, but she also played well throughout the week, finishing at 3 under, 10 strokes behind eventual champion Nelly Korda. The California native felt right at home in Texas, and she carried that same confidence on Thursday, when she fought back quickly after making mistakes.
She said there were plenty of lessons she leaned on from last year’s showing.
“I think one thing is that I don’t have to have my A-plus game to perform out here,” Koo said. “I think that’s really helped me, because last year I was surprised with kind of like what the cut line score was, kind of how reachable the field was, and just like that realization made me more calm today.
“I wasn’t as nervous, as rushed to get something going.”
Koo, who said she worked a little extra on her chipping in advance of this event, got a little extra boost in the form of USC assistant coach Beth Wu, who played on the Epson Tour after a stellar collegiate career at UCLA.
“The support has been great,” Koo said. “With Beth out here, too, after a three-putt she’ll be like, it’s okay. When you come back you’ll be in speed jail, but it’s okay. Just focus on the next hole. Kind of like that relieves the pressure and makes everything very happy.
“I think the advice she gives us isn’t very — what the public would think it is. I think it’s mostly guidance, what do I need to know or how do I access this LPGA portal, just like the little nitty stuff like that. I think she’s helped a lot. She’s helped also kind of just being more comfortable around like the LPGA players. Just be like, hey, I was in their shoes too. I mean, you’re around me every day. Why are you nervous?”
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