The LPGA Hall of Famer Lydia Ko has a new accessory that people are noticing almost as much as her golf.

It all began when she bought something at an airport gift shop while eating a taco. She has been wearing novelty claw clips behind her visor at tour events this season.

On Friday at the Mizuho Americas Open in New Jersey, it was a New York City coffee cup. Golf Channel's Hally Leadbetter caught up with Ko after her round and got the full story.

"You are the claw clip queen," Lead told her. "How many do you have, and when did this start?"

Ko's answer was simple, and it started at SFO. "I bought my first one at SFO on my way to Phoenix," Ko said. "I had a taco clip, and everybody was like, 'Oh my god, I love it.'"

After that reaction, Ko asked her husband to grab a few more. He returned with a kale clip and a corn-on-the-cob clip. The food theme was no accident.

"I love food, clearly," Ko said. "So that's why I've been trending more that way."

From there, the collection kept growing through gifts, friends, and the tour itself. The NYC coffee cup clip she wore Friday was a birthday present from a friend, whom Ko identified only as "NG." Ko described it as a latte with "NYC" on it and said her friend has been keeping the trend going ever since.

The LPGA also got in on it. Ko said the tour gifted her a crab claw clip and hinted it would make its on-course debut the following week.

"I have too many," Ko laughed.

Lydia Ko Sitting One Back at Mizuho Americas Open

Ko shot a 5-under 67 at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, N.J., on Thursday, one shot behind first-round leader Andrea Lee.

She bounced back from an early bogey with a birdie-eagle stretch and picked up two more birdies to close out her front nine.

The putter was working. "I actually putted really well, which was a nice change," Ko said. A new putter in the bag this week reminded her of a similar stretch earlier this season.

"I haven't putted well since I shot 60 at the Ford Championship in March, and that day I had a new putter, and this week I have a new putter. I don't know if it's like a one-off honeymoon phase, but I'll take it regardless."

Ko missed the cut at the Chevron Championship last month. Thursday's round was a good bounce-back performance heading into the weekend.

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav