Instructor Sean Foley sends emotional message after Lydia Ko’s win

Sean Foley and Lydia Ko began working together last summer, at a time when both needed the other.

Foley, a longtime instructor for, over the years, the likes of Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Cameron Champ, was questioning his purpose, and not just on a professional level.

Ko, a prodigy with 14 LPGA wins before she turned 20, was trying to find the form that stamped her spot into the World Golf Hall of Fame before many began their professional careers.

Once Ko made the call to Foley, things changed for the better for both parties. After repeated close calls, Ko won last week’s Lotte Championship by seven strokes, at 28 under par. It was her first win in three years, her 16th overall.

Foley sent out a heartfelt message on social media following the breakthrough victory.

“She is just one of the most elegant and graceful people I’ve ever met,” Foley said at last year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

“Genuine. True to herself.”