Supreme Teen

Wilson's holistic approach to tutoring, combined with a detailed development strategy, has transformed a young pretender into a genuine contender.

But when catching Wilson out on the course and quizzing his methods, his secret is simple.

"Lydia has no added distractions," says Wilson, in charge of Ko's off the course affairs. "I cannot control a ball as good as she can so the relationship works well – it is as simple as that.

"The role of being a coach has evolved over the years, enabling Lydia to concentrate purely on the golf."

To be world number one, it is essential to have all distractions removed. But given Ko's tender age, how far can a coach justify pushing someone so young?

"It is all that Lydia has ever done," insists Wilson, who claims practicing up to eight hours a day is part of Ko's routine. "We practice everyday, whether that is for an hour or an entire day, it depends how her game is."

Adopting the quality over quantity approach, Wilson can either spend five minutes with Ko, checking her swing is in order, or maybe six hours on the course working on her short game.

"We communicate every day," he says. "Technique can change quickly so we have to keep an eye on it and stay on the ball.”

Ko's impact on the shores of New Zealand is already highly significant, with the teenager no longer known purely in the golfing world.

But Ko puts in the hours, and is getting the rewards. Most golfers do not take up the game until their teenage years and even then they cannot commit to something so monotonous.