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 "I'm just going to look at it as any other four-day event and just
have fun out there and hopefully play some good golf," Ko told
reporters ahead of Thursday's opening round of the first major
women's championship of 2016.
Ko could very well be to be in the hunt for her second successive
major crown as she is coming off a win at last week's Kia Classic to
go along with a pair of runner-up finishes and a tie for third in
five tournaments played this year.
The 18-year-old New Zealander rose to the occasion at last year's
Evian Championship at Evian-Les-Bains, France, in her final chance
to surpass Morgan Pressel as youngest woman to win a major.
"Going into Evian I think was the most pressure. It was the last
event, the last time I could possibly break Morgan's record," she
said, adding with relief, "It's all behind us."
 The top 19 ranked players in the world are in the field at Mission
Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.
World number two Park In-bee, the 2013 winner at Mission Hills, is
also coming off a satisfying season.
Park claimed the Vare Trophy for scoring average, won her seventh
major with victory in the Women's British Open to complete a career
grand slam and qualified for the Hall of Fame.
"I'm really happy with what I achieved last year just because those
are the things that I planned on doing last year and dreamed of
doing last year," the former world number one said on Wednesday.
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"So I've done what I've needed to do. I was very satisfied with the
result."
Now comes a six-month stretch that includes five majors, the Rio
Olympics and the International Crown.
"This year's definitely going to be a very historical year and a
very special year for women's golf," said Park.
"There are a big seven tournaments that are kind of in my mind and
in a lot of the girls' minds. So I think it's going to be a very
interesting year."
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)
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