Lydia Ko is competing alongside her idol at the Hilton Grand Vacation Tournament of Champions, Annika Sörenstam, but the dream pairing comes with a catch. The Kiwi superstar admitted she was 'really nervous' to play with the golf legend. It's a feeling a decade in the making.

Speaking at the press conference, Ko elaborated on the experience.

"To especially be alongside Annika, I think I played with her in tournament for the first time last year here. I was really nervous. Growing up she was literally the name that you saw every week. Unfortunately, I wasn't on Tour yet when she was ending her career, so to have this kind of opportunity to compete alongside her is honestly a dream come true.”

While Sörenstam retired back in 2008, Ko burst onto the scene in 2012. Their paths have crossed multiple times, creating special moments for Ko. For instance, there was a moment, back in 2015, when Ko equalled Sörenstam's LPGA Tour record for consecutive rounds under par.

Even then, Ko wanted to play with the legend. "I would love to play with her one day. That would be really cool," she said at the time. A decade later, Ko is living that dream. Even now, Ko is still learning lessons from the legend.

"When I think of my retirement down the line, I don't think I'm touching my golf clubs unless I really have to, but Annika is out here practicing a lot, especially with her son, Will, out here practicing. So it's pretty cool that even after all this time, the drive that she has to still want to win and compete at a high level."

Sörenstam still has the competitive edge. Not only does she play with her son, but she also participates in a lot of charity events, including going head-to-head with celebrities like Caitlin Clark and more.

Coming back to the Hilton Grand Vacation Tournament of Champions, Lydia Ko also talked about her chase for one event Sörenstam won.

Lydia Ko Wants One of Annika Sörenstam's Achievements

“I think the U.S. Women's Open has always been a career highlight. It's been something that I really wanted to win, and I think that inspiration came in Seri winning the '98 U.S. Women's Open at Black Wolf Run.”

Ko finished T3rd at the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open at CordeValle Golf Club and a fifth spot finish in 2022. Being called a U.S. Open Champion would be like a dream come true for the three-time major champion, especially since Sörenstam won the same title thrice in her career. However, it won't be a defining factor for her career.

"I also said that I think I have nothing to prove now to anyone, to the point that just because I don't win that one, it's not going to put a dent to my career,” she said. “It's just going to kind of put the cherry on top of the cake.”

With only the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open left in her quest for a grand slam, Lydia Ko will likely go all out this season. For now, her focus is on performing alongside the legend who inspired her career.

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar