New Zealand's Lydia Ko is one of the biggest stars in the women’s game with almost 30 professional wins worldwide, including three Major Championships. She has also enjoyed multiple spells as the World No.1, most recently reclaiming that status following victory at the 2022 CME Group Tour Championship. Discover more about the LPGA Tour Hall of Famer with these facts about her...
Lydia Ko Facts
1. Bo-Gyung “Lydia” Ko was born on April 24, 1997 in Seoul, South Korea.
2. Ko emigrated to New Zealand when she was just an infant and studied at Pinehurst School in Albany.
3. When she was five years old, Ko was taken to the pro shop at Pupuke Golf Club by her mother and, from there, she fell in love with the game.
4. Ko first received media attention in 2005 when, at only seven years old, she appeared at the New Zealand Amateur Championship.
5. The New Zealander’s hobbies include tennis, rock climbing and reading.
6. In 2011, Ko became the first female to win the Mark H. McCormack Medal, an award given to the leading player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings by The R&A. Ko also retained it in 2012 and '13.
7. At the age of 14, the New Zealander became the then-youngest person ever to win a professional golf tour event, tasting success at the Women's New South Wales Open on the ALPG Tour.
8. Ko was named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people when she was only 16 years old.
9. Before turning pro, Ko spent 130 weeks as the top-ranked women's amateur in the world, during which time she won the LPGA’s Canadian Open twice. This made her the first amateur to win an LPGA Tour event in over 43 years and the youngest to ever do it, beating the previous record set by Lexi Thompson.
10. In her first full season as a pro (2014), she won three LPGA events and was awarded Rookie of the Year.
11. Ko has been voted New Zealand’s Sportswoman of the Year three times: 2013, 2014 and 2015.
12. In 2015 and '16, Ko dominated the women’s game, winning nine times on the LPGA Tour and three times on the Ladies European Tour. This included two Major Championships and an Olympic silver medal.
13. In 2015, the New Zealander became the youngest player, male or female, to reach No.1 in the world.
14. Ko has twice been named in the ESPNW Impact 25 list of 25 athletes and influencers who have made the greatest impact for women in sport.
15. Ko was coached by David Leadbetter in the early part of her pro career before the pair controversially split in 2016. In an interview with New Zealand’s Radio Sport, Leadbetter said: "Her parents have a lot to answer for. They tell her when to go to bed, what to eat, what to wear, when to practice and what to practice. And they expect her to win every tournament."
16. Her sponsors include ECCO and Lexus, while Ko's what's in the bag now features predominantly Titleist clubs after her five-year PXG deal came to an end in the early part of 2022.
17. Although Ko didn't win on the LPGA Tour in 2019 and '20, she returned to winning ways at the 2021 Lotte Championship and also added a bronze medal to her roll of honour at the Tokyo Olympics later that summer.
18. Returning to form, Ko won the CME Group Tour Championship in 2022, picking up the record $2 million first prize. With the win, Ko won the season's money title, Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average and the LPGA Player of the Year.
19. In December 2022, Ko married Chung Jun, the son of the Hyundai Card Vice Chairman Chung Tae-young, at the Myeondong Cathedral in Seoul.
20. At the end of 2023, Ko became the inaugural winner of the Grant Thornton Invitational alongside Jason Day. The pair fired rounds of 58, 66 and 66 to win by one stroke.
21. At Paris 2024, Ko won Olympic gold to complete her personal set and subsequently earn a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame.
22. At the age of 27, Ko won the 2024 AIG Women's Open for her third Major championship title.
