Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, May 2019
Personal information
Full name
Bo-Gyung "Lydia" Ko
Nickname
Lyds[1]
Born
(1997-04-24) 24 April 1997 (age 27) Seoul, South Korea
Height
5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Sporting nationality
New Zealand
Residence
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Career
College
Korea University
Turned professional
2013
Current tour(s)
LPGA Tour
Professional wins
28
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour
20
Ladies European Tour
7
LPGA of Korea Tour
1
ALPG Tour
5
Other
1
Best results in LPGA major championships (wins: 2)
Chevron Championship
Won: 2016
Women's PGA C'ship
2nd: 2016
U.S. Women's Open
T3: 2016
Women's British Open
T3: 2015
Evian Championship
Won: 2015
Achievements and awards
Mark H. McCormack Medal
2011, 2012, 2013
Halberg Supreme Award
2013
New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year
2013, 2014, 2015
LPGA Vare Trophy
2021, 2022
LPGA Rookie of the Year
2014
LPGA Player of the Year
2015, 2022
LPGA Tour Money Winner
2015, 2022
Best Female Golfer ESPY Award
2015, 2016
Race to the CME Globe
2014, 2015, 2022
GWAA Female Player of the Year
2015, 2022
Medal record
Olympic Games
2016 Rio de Janeiro
Individual
2020 Tokyo
Individual
Lydia Ko
Hangul
리디아 고
Hanja
리디아 高
Revised Romanization
Ridia Go
McCune–Reischauer
Ridia Ko
Ko Bo-Gyung
Hangul
고보경
Hanja
高寶璟
Revised Romanization
Go Bogyeong
McCune–Reischauer
Ko Po-gyŏng
Lydia KoMNZM (born 24 April 1997) is a New Zealand professional golfer. She first reached number one in the Women's World Golf Rankings on 2 February 2015 at 17 years, 9 months and 9 days of age, making her the youngest player of either gender to be ranked No. 1 in professional golf.[2][3]
Ko had much success from an early age holding many youngest accolades on the LPGA Tour. Until 2017, she is the youngest ever (age 15) to win an LPGA Tour event.[4] In August 2013, she became the only amateur to win two LPGA Tour events.[5] Upon winning The Evian Championship in France on 13 September 2015, she became the youngest woman, at age 18 years, 4 months and 20 days, to win a major championship. Her closing round of 63 was a record lowest final round in the history of women's golf majors,[6] but she lowered that record with a 62 at the 2021 ANA Inspiration.[7] She had previously won the ANA Inspiration on 3 April 2016 for her second consecutive major championship, where she also became the youngest player to win two women's major championships.
In 2014, Ko was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people.[8] In both 2014[9] and 2015,[10] Ko was named in the EspnW Impact25 list of 25 athletes and influencers who have made the greatest impact for women in sports.
In 2016, Ko was named Young New Zealander of the Year,[11] and in the 2019 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to golf.[12]
In November 2022, Ko won the CME Group Tour Championship with its $2 million first-place prize, completing the LPGA Tour season with three wins, the LPGA Player of the Year award for the second time in her career, the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average, the 2022 leading money winner,[13] and rose to number two in the Women's World Golf Rankings.
Ko is a player director on the LPGA Board.[14]
^"Who's who in golf: Lydia Ko". Where2Golf. 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
^"Ko youngest ever world No 1". Radio New Zealand. 1 February 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
^"Women's World Golf Rankings". 2 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
^"Ko becomes youngest winner". The New Zealand Herald. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
^"Lydia Ko wins 2nd straight Canadian Women's Open". CBC Sport. 25 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
^"Lowest rounds in women's major championship history". Golf News Net. 13 September 2015.
^"Lydia Ko's record-breaking final round not enough to claim third major at ANA Inspiration". The New Zealand Herald. 6 April 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021. Her front-nine 29 set the ANA nine-hole scoring record, and ties the lowest nine-hole score at any major championship.
^"100 Most Influential People - Lydia Ko". Time. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2004.
^"2014 espnW Impact 25: Lydia Ko, 17, 2014 LPGA Rookie Of The Year". ESPN. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
^"2015 IMPACT25 Athlete: Lydia Ko". espnW. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
^Tapaleao, Moana; Garrick, Gia (17 February 2016). "Richie McCaw named New Zealander of the year". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
^"New Year honours list 2019". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
^"Lydia Ko wins LPGA finale for record $2 million payout". Associated Press. 20 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
^Higuch, Kikue (19 November 2022). "LPGA Stars React To Groundbreaking 2023 Schedule". LPGA.
LydiaKo MNZM (born 24 April 1997) is a New Zealand professional golfer. She first reached number one in the Women's World Golf Rankings on 2 February...
winner Ko Jin-young (68.886) in her 67 rounds, although she finished second on the money list ($2,382,198) to Ko ($3,502,161). However, LydiaKo won the...
Stacy Lewis in 2014 by three shots. She finished third, one stroke behind LydiaKo, the playoff winner, and runner-up Morgan Pressel. At age 17, Henderson...
Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Honors". LPGA. October 18, 2017. "LydiaKo is LPGA's top rookie". ESPN. Associated Press. November 12, 2014. "Career...
parentheses. 1. Winners of all previous Chevron Championships Ko Jin-young (2,3,4,5,6) LydiaKo (3,6) Jennifer Kupcho (3,5) Stacy Lewis Brittany Lincicome...
LydiaKo finished at 8-under-par 280 with Ko making a birdie on the par-5 closing hole while Pressel missed a birdie effort to end the tournament. Ko...
back-to-back wins starting a new LPGA season, when her longtime friend LydiaKo beat her by one stroke in the January 27–30 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio...
share ($) Jan 21 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions Florida LydiaKo (20) 31 1,500,000 225,000 Jan 28 LPGA Drive On Championship Florida Nelly...
Summer Olympics. At those games, Inami shot a final round 65 and defeated LydiaKo in a sudden-death playoff to win a silver medal in women's individual,...
2016. "Ariya Jutanugarn beats Lexi in playoff, grabs No. 1 ranking from LydiaKo". Golf.com. Associated Press. 11 June 2017. Baldry, Beth Ann (2 May 2013)...
Hagge at age 18 in 1952. Her record stood for 11 months until 15-year-old LydiaKo won the 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open on August 26, 2012. On December 17...
Awards Preceded by LydiaKo New Zealand's Sportswoman of the Year 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 2023 Succeeded by Zoi Sadowski-Synnott Preceded by Zoi Sadowski-Synnott...
Circle. Patty Tavatanakit won her first LPGA Tour event by two strokes over LydiaKo. Tavatanakit won the event wire-to-wire and became the first rookie to...
parentheses. 1. Winners of all previous Chevron Championships Ko Jin-young (2,3,5,6) LydiaKo (3,5,6) Jennifer Kupcho (3,4,5,6) Stacy Lewis (3,5) Brittany...
April 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021. "Patty Tavatanakit holds off charging LydiaKo to win ANA Inspiration for first LPGA Tour victory". ESPN. Retrieved 5...
In April 2018, she lost the LPGA Mediheal Championship in a playoff to LydiaKo, then on 27 May 2018, won the LPGA Volvik Championship. Lee finished 2018...