Inside Lydia Ko’s Evolution: From Teenage Phenom to Veteran Champion
Olympic Women Golf Competition Paris 2024 Lydia Ko NZL GOLD during the medals ceremony of the Olympic Women Golf Competition Paris 2024, Le Golf National, Guyancourt, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. 10/08/24. Picture Stefano Di Maria / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Stefano Di Maria Guyancourt Le Golf National Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines France Copyright: xStefanoxDixMariax *EDI*
Olympic Women Golf Competition Paris 2024 Lydia Ko NZL GOLD during the medals ceremony of the Olympic Women Golf Competition Paris 2024, Le Golf National, Guyancourt, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. 10/08/24. Picture Stefano Di Maria / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Stefano Di Maria Guyancourt Le Golf National Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines France Copyright: xStefanoxDixMariax *EDI*
From moving to Sydney, barely being able to speak English, and working with coach Guy Wilson, Lydia Ko has made it a long way in golf. Let's see how her journey
Early Start
By seven, she was playing in the New Zealand Amateur Championship. And just seven years later, she won the Women’s New South Wales Open on the ALPG Tour, becoming the youngest winner of a professional golf event. But age doesn't matter for Lydia Ko.
"For a few tournaments I’ve been the youngest competitor and I’ve coped. I don’t really think about my age or what I’ve done really. I’m just one of the 156 players that are here."
AIG Women s Open 2025 Lydia Ko NZL in action during the second round of the AIG Women s Open 2025, Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, Porthcawl, Wales. 01/08/2025 Picture: Golffile Phil Inglis All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Phil Inglis Porthcawl Royal Porthcawl Golf Club Bridgend Wales Copyright: xPhilxInglisx *EDI*
AIG Women s Open 2025 Lydia Ko NZL in action during the second round of the AIG Women s Open 2025, Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, Porthcawl, Wales. 01/08/2025 Picture: Golffile Phil Inglis All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Phil Inglis Porthcawl Royal Porthcawl Golf Club Bridgend Wales Copyright: xPhilxInglisx *EDI*
The wins continued. In 2012 and 2013, she won the LPGA Canadian Women’s Open as an amateur. The LPGA waived its age rule, allowing her to turn professional at 16 years and 172 days after 130 weeks as the world’s top amateur.
Record Rise
Her impact on the LPGA was immediate. In her rookie season in 2014, she won three tournaments, earned approx $1.5 million, and was named Rookie of the Year. In 2015, she won five LPGA titles, including the Evian Championship.
A year later she won the ANA Inspiration, becoming the youngest player with two Majors. She reached World No.1 in the same period, the youngest player, male or female, to do so.
Reset and Return
In 2017, the rhythm changed, she had a winless LPGA season despite 11 top-10 finishes. She fell from a long run at No.1 to ninth in the rankings by the end of 2017, and slipped outside the top-10 the following season.
Cristie Kerr noted Ko seemed “a little lost.” Ko was chasing her younger self. In 2020, former World No.1 Stacy Lewis told her that trying to play like the teenager she once was wouldn’t work. It was a turning point.
Ko began working with coach Sean Foley the same year. Foley focused on understanding her process rather than rebuilding her swing. He later said most of the improvement came from “forgiving herself for the mistakes she had made.” Results followed. She won three titles in 2022, including the CME Group Tour Championship, and was named Rolex Player of the Year.
Her evolution reached its summit at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Lydia won gold, her third Olympic medal, and secured entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Weeks later, she won the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews. At 27, Ko’s career reads in two parts: early dominance built on talent, and a second phase shaped by perspective. Both led her back to the top.
Written by
Aditi Singh
Edited by
Siddharth Shirwadkar