Is There Anything Left for New Zealand’s Lydia Ko To Achieve in Golf?
27-year-old professional women’s golfer Lydia Ko had the best month of her entire career in August 2024. The New Zealander picked up the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris before winning the AIG Women’s Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.
Despite the incredible wins and her age, she announced her plans to retire from professional golf shortly after winning at the Paris Olympics. Let’s dive straight in to see if there is anything for Ko still to achieve in golf and if it’s the right decision to retire before reaching thirty.
What are Lydia Ko’s biggest career wins?
South Korean-born Lydia Ko’s career started at the age of just 16 when she made her professional debut. Before turning pro, she won the first major LPGA Tour as an amateur and then, just two years later, became the world number one.
Throughout her professional career, she has achieved 29 major wins, which include the following:
Tournament/competition: LPGA Tour. Wins: 21
Tournament/competition: Ladies European Tour. Wins: 8
Tournament/competition: ALPG Tour. Wins: 5
Tournament/competition: KLPGA Tour. Wins: 1
Other wins: 1
Her most significant championship wins occurred in 2015, 2016, and 2024. In 2015, she won The Evian Championship by a 6-stroke margin. In 2016, she won the ANA Inspiration by a 1-stroke margin, and after an eight-year dry spell, she won the 2024 AIG Women’s British Open by a 2-stroke margin.
She’s one of the most famous golf superstars ever, and millions of people worldwide often tune in live to watch her play. She has also picked up numerous personal awards and achievements and has set several major records.
Also, on any fully licensed and regulated online sports betting site that allows new players to deposit $10, Lydia Ko is often the most bet-on female golfer. There are typically favourable odds for Lydia Ko and plenty of individual betting markets.
Personal records and achievements
In 2024, Lydia Ko made it into the LPGA Hall of Fame. She won the GWAA Female Player of the Year award in 2015 and 2022, the Race to the CME Globe Award in 2014, 2015, and 2022, and the William and Mousie Powell Award in 2021.
She also picked up the Best Female Golfer ESPY Award in 2015 and 2016, the LPGA Vare Trophy in 2021 and 2022, and the LPGA Player of the Year Award in 2015 and 2022.
That’s not forgetting the LPGA Rookie of the Year Award in 2014, and the New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year Award in 2013, 2014, and 2015. She also won the Halberg Supreme Award in 2013 and the Mark H. McCormack Medal in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
In her first season as a pro in 2014, she became the LPGA’s youngest ever millionaire, picking up a cool US$1 million in prize money at the age of just 17. The following year, she broke a similar record by surpassing US$2 million in prize money. The same pattern continued up until 2017.
In late November 2022, Ko pocketed a further $2 million at the CME Group Tour Championship, which saw her climb up into fifth place on the all-time LPGA Tour career earnings leaderboard.
Major women’s golf tournaments still to come in 2024
On September 22, in Ohio, golfing fans worldwide can look forward to the Kroger Queen City Championship. Next up is the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in Arkansas on September 29.
On October 13, it’s the Buick LPGA Shanghai in China (part of the CLPGA), and then on October 20, it’s the BMW Ladies Championship in Korea, followed by the Maybank Championship in Malaysia on October 27.
As the season draws to a close, you have the Toto Japan Classic on November 3 in Japan, followed by the November 9 Lotte Championship in Hawaii. Finally, on November 17, in Florida, it’s The Annika, and then, also in Florida, this time on November 24, it’s the CME Group Tour Championship.
A look back at Lydia Ko’s career ranking
In 2010, when Lydia Ko first appeared on the Women’s World Golf Rankings (Rolex Rankings), she featured at number 549. The following year, she climbed up to 295. In 2012, she was at number 43, and then in 2013, number 4.
The following year, she climbed to number 2 and finally reached number 1 in 2015. She remained at number 1 the following year and then dropped down to ninth in 2017.
She was at number 40 in 2019, 29 in 2020, and 3 in 2021. She then made it back to the top of the ranking board in 2022, dropping to number 11 in 2023. Today, she is currently ranked at number 3.
Final thoughts
Despite all that Ko has achieved throughout her career (winning all the major championships), she will still most likely retire at the end of the season, despite her recent form. However, many of her fans and golfing experts/pundits still feel she has a couple more championships left in her.
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