Lydia Ko has Jun Chung by her side again, but this time, it is not just because he is her husband. Back in April 2021, Chung watched from the gallery as Ko ended her 1,084-day winless run at Kapolei with a record 28-under 260. Now, years later, he is carrying her bag at the $3 million LOTTE Championship in Hawaii. Ko has a simple reason for bringing him back: “He just keeps me accountable.”

At her Wednesday press conference, the three-time major champion was asked why Chung was back on the bag after Evian. She started by talking about her win at Kapolei.

“Yeah, like when I actually won in Kapolei he came and watched me play and I had my first win in three years, so some would say he’s a bit of a good luck charm,” Ko said. “We had a great result in Evian, and outside of finishing tied seventh we just had a really good time.”

The plan was set well before she arrived. Golfweek reports Lydia Ko asked her regular caddie, Paul Cormack, at the start of the season whether he minded Chung stepping in on Oahu.

“It was more just because we thought it would be like a full circle moment. I asked Paul months ago when I already had my schedule and was like, hey, do you mind just because I thought it would be great memories for us,” she said.

The location adds meaning. “I met my husband here in Hawai’i so it’s become a very special place for us,” Ko said.

Lydia Ko also tied the decision to her most recent start in Korea. Golfweek reports she missed the cut at the Hana Financial Group Championship on the KLPGA with coach Si Woo Lee on the bag.

“I struggled a lot on the golf course a couple weeks ago when I was in Korea. It had been a while since I struggled that much with my ball striking. That week it was nice to have one of my coaches, Si Woo, caddie for me because he would give me direct feedback,” Ko said.

She then explained why Chung fits the same role, and this is the heart of the story.

“It is kind of the same for Jun, right? He’s seen me through highs and lows, and because of that I think he just knows me. Sometimes if I’m tentative he’s the first one to call me out and be like, hey, what was that for? Why did you do that? He just keeps me accountable.”

Ko says she wants more from Chung than just help with choosing clubs. She also values having someone beside her who will be honest with her and hold her accountable. Chung first worked as Ko’s caddie at the Amundi Evian Championship in July. Ko finished tied for seventh and gave him an A+ for his work. When asked about the best advice he gave her, Ko said it was less about advice and more about challenging her. Chung told her he would not caddie for someone who played too cautiously, which pushed Ko to be more aggressive. Ko also trusted Chung when it came to reading the greens. She said green reading has been one of the areas she has struggled with at these greens in recent years, so she relied on him for help with her putting as well.

Caddie changes are not new for Ko, and Hawaii has been part of that story before. In October 2016, she ended her partnership with Jason Hamilton after nearly two years. During that time, they won 10 times, including two majors. Six months later, she also parted ways with Gary Matthews after only nine events. That came just days after she finished tied for second at the 2017 LOTTE Championship. Also, Ko made another major caddie change in 2023. She split with Derek Kistler early that year, then reunited with David Jones and won the Aramco Saudi Ladies International before making another switch.

Cormack, a Scottish caddie who had spent four years working with Anna Nordqvist, joined Ko at the Kroger Queen City Championship that September. Cormack has been Ko’s regular caddie for about three years. During that time, Ko won the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews in 2024 and also claimed Olympic gold in Paris. This time, though, the situation is different. Cormack is still Ko’s regular caddie.

The 29-year-old LPGA golfer is a three-time major champion but is still looking for her first win of the season. She also missed the cut at her most recent LPGA event, the FM Championship. Another milestone is on the line this week. The NZ Herald reported that Ko started the tournament just $223,228 behind Annika Sorenstam on the LPGA’s career prize money list.

According to Golf Digest, a second-place finish pays $282,976, meaning Ko needs to finish tied for second or better to move ahead of Sorenstam. However, Ko had a slow start on Thursday. She shot a 1-under 71 and finished the opening round tied for 49th. She was six shots behind A Lim Kim, who carded a bogey-free 65 in rainy and windy conditions. Ko now needs to make the 36-hole cut, which will leave the top 65 players and ties after Friday’s round. If she makes it through, she will have 54 more holes to play.

For Lydia Ko, though, the result is not the only thing that matters. She said having Chung on the bag makes her feel comfortable, and she expects them to enjoy the week together regardless of how she plays. The big question now is whether that comfort can help her on the leaderboard. For Ko, having someone who knows her well and is willing to challenge her may be just as important as having another set of eyes on the course.