One can call her journey in the world of golf a symphony of talent, dedication, and triumph. Lydia Ko (‘14, Psychology) is a New Zealand-born Korean golf player whose career is remarkable for her many achievements and awards. Ko’s story is an admirable one for her journey of pursuing her golfing career after years of tough grind. She secured her reputation as a golf player with over 20 professional worldwide wins and won the highest winner’s cheque in the 2022 CME Group Tour Championship. A major force in golfing turned into a Korea University (KU) student, Ko’s story is an inspiring one to hear.
Being a legendary player who is well-known for her dedication to golf, it can be presumed that in the eyes of Ko, the game of propelling shots is something more than just a sport. Her story is a pure example of reaching success from continuous perseverance, hard work, and sacrifice of one’s own time. Years- long of training paid off for Ko; after her debut on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in her early teens, she secured three wins as an amateur in 2012 and the Rookie of the Year title. Subsequently, she rose to the top spot in the world rankings as the youngest champion. Amidst the prominent presence of South Korean players on the LPGA stage, Lydia Ko has also become a notable figure, following in the footsteps of Michelle Wie as a standout player on the tour.
Bestowed With Affluence of Talent
Born in South Korea on April 24, 1997, Ko’s success was destined from a young age. According to Stuff Magazine, Auckland golfer Jo Stallard recalled his experience playing with eight-year-old Ko as “I knew from the start she was different, that one day the world would know her name.” Although it can be said that it is either fate or hard work, Ko’s journey to the top was unstoppable once she found her inner spark. Her time in Sydney, Australia with her aunt can be said to be a transformative event that changed her whole life forever.
Coined the “girl wonder of golf” by The New York Times, New Zealand golf tournaments were shaken by Ko’s talent on a yearly basis. As a gift from her aunt, she first held a seven-iron at the age of five. Randomly tossing two golf clubs around, Ko mentioned that it was a trivial moment that showcased her interest in golfing from a young age. Even though Ko comes from a family where she is the only one who is affiliated with playing the sport, her mother saw the interest in her young daughter from early on and later fully supported her natural talent in golfing. Her family’s guidance most definitely helped Ko on her road to success.
Ko can be said to be naturally gifted in golf; as she got older, she had more achievements, and her shots also became much longer. Unlike other kids her age, she was already practicing in the Under-19 (U19) division in tournaments at the young age of eight. In 2009, she was only 11 years old when she won the North Island Women’s U19 Championship. This was a significant win for her career as she had broken the record of being the youngest person to win on a pro tour in the New South Wales (NSW) Open in Australia. To add on, she beat the seven-year shotput winner Valerie Adams when she received the Sportswoman of the Year Award in 2013, which she also awarded in 2014 and 2015. Hence, Ko can be viewed as a golf legend of all time.
With all the records she broke and the trophies she took, Ko still manages to be down-to-earth. Even though it is relatively easy for stars to be affected by fame and fortune, this does not seem to be the case for Ko. David Leadbetter, Lydia Ko’s previous coach, attributed her continuous success to her personality that radiates humbleness. Combined with her talent, they became the key factors for her achievements. She rose to be the number one ranked golf player in 2022, and Ko can be seen going the extra mile in the ongoing 2023 season to let others know about her status as a high-achieving golf star.
What Is Waiting for Ko Now
Ko recently got married at the end of 2022 in South Korea, and it is notable that she spent her honeymoon enjoying her hobby – golfing. According to an interview with Golf Magazine, she explained that she and her husband “played a lot of golf on [their] honeymoon. It’s one of the mutual things that [they] both enjoy and can do together.” She took a break from golf to enjoy her new married life at the beginning of January this year and soon returned to the scene; she played in the Ladies European Tour event in February where she won a valuable prize in the Ladies European Tour (LET) season.
However, later on in the year, Ko faced some setbacks that made her fans worried. In the current season so far, the golf star had some performances where the outcomes were not in her favor. In the AIG Women’s Open, she unfortunately failed to reach a higher ranking and finished in the 89th place. She successfully made birdies on the 11th, 14th, 16th, and 17th holes, but failed to catch up with the bridge after several attempts.
Despite the disheartening results, Ko is currently on the way to gaining redemption at the Canadian Women’s Open (CPKC) games, as she told EssentiallySports that she is “moving in the right direction.” Ko further mentioned that scoring a high ranking in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics is her main goal for now. Knowing the years-long success Ko has achieved, the golf wonder will most definitely bounce back strong. As her fans are hooked on her journey to success, it is not surprising that they put their trust and faith in Ko and her undeniable talent, hoping that she can reach the top once again.