Teen golf superstar Lydia Ko is aware of the expectations, but says a successful defence of her New Zealand Women's Open golf title can't be taken as a given.
After a top-10 finish on the LPGA tour in the Bahamas last week in her first event as a professional, 16-year-old Ko is feeling confident heading into the opening round of her home Open in Christchurch on Friday.
Already ranked No.4 in the world after her success against the pros as an amateur, Ko has become one of the big names in golf.
She is the NSW Women's Open's headline act but still felt humbled to see her face on billboards around Christchurch.
"Last year it was `Ready Set Ko', and this year it's `Here We Ko Again', so it's pretty cool," she said.
"Maybe it's a good last name to have. It's really great to have that support and to play at home."
But she warned fans not to take success for granted at the Clearwater course.
"I'm playing well and I'm pretty confident, but the wind can get pretty nasty out there," she said.
"There's a lot of great players out here this week so I can't just turn up and win.
"If I have a couple of good rounds, I should be up there and in contention, but I can't expect to win every week. Even though that would be nice, it's not realistic."
Ko is one of five players in the field who have won the tournament.
The others are England's Laura Davies, Frenchwoman Gwladys Nocera, and Australians Kristie Smith and Lindsey Wright.
Ko will begin her defence in a group that also includes two of her likely major challengers, England's Charley Hull and Australian Stacey Keating.
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