Good day Gold Medallist and latest member of the LPGA Corridor of Fame, Lydia Ko. Lydia, congratulations once more. Simply has all of it sort of sunk in, every little thing from final week?
I really don’t know if it has sunk in but. I didn’t sleep Saturday night time simply due to journey logistics and all that. So I went to sleep for the primary time on Sunday night time. It was fairly surreal. I awoke, like, was {that a} dream? Did that simply actually occur?
Tremendous thrilling. I’ve gotten an awesome quantity of assist from the gamers and the those that I do know, and simply very grateful for actually this once-in-a-lifetime alternative.
You simply talked about you’ve gotten a whole lot of assist from the gamers and others round you. What has been probably the most impactful message that you just’ve gotten from somebody after engaging in what you’ve achieved?
You realize, a whole lot of the women which might be already within the Corridor of Fame reached out, and particularly any individual like Nancy Lopez, each time I see her, she provides me good vibes. You realize, all the time phrases of knowledge, and for any individual like her to love take me beneath her profitable and assist me means quite a bit.
There’s been simply so many individuals, like Meg and Beth mentioned they’d like cried watching me. It means quite a bit. I’ve seen a few of my good pals right here, as effectively. It’s fairly surreal. I used to be speaking to one of many mothers yesterday and almost introduced tears to my eyes once more.
I feel as a participant and like any individual that’s concerned, everyone knows how onerous it’s. So like we’re all occurring this journey collectively, and so most of the those that I play alongside, and to see them assist me like this, it means quite a bit, and I feel that’s probably the most, I suppose grateful factor of all of this.
Simply, you understand, how does it really feel to have “Corridor of Famer” subsequent to your — a part of your title now, and what does the Corridor of Fame particularly imply to you?
It’s tremendous cool. Molly gave me the warmest welcome to the Corridor of Fame on that Saturday. I feel I’ve mentioned a number of occasions earlier than, I didn’t actually suppose I used to be able to getting in any form of Corridor of Fame, and to say that I’ve gotten within the Corridor of Fame at my sport in one thing that’s given me a lot is surreal.
I do know all the women and legends which might be like within the Corridor of Fame, they’re it the greats, they usually led this pathway for us to have this type of alternative. To say that I’m a part of that sort of historical past ebook is actually cool, and yeah, I feel I virtually want like just a few weeks off to love actually take every little thing in, all of this.
Are you able to inform us the place the Gold Medal has been more often than not the final couple of days?
LYDIA KO: It’s been in my backpack. I haven’t gone within the case but. So I haven’t been capable of totally treasure it very effectively. However it’s proper there now.
It’s good to have the ability to have a look at that, after which it’s actual will, isn’t it, if you have a look at that?
I haven’t really checked out it in a few days. Once I was flying with it, it was bizarre to sort of take it out as a result of not everyone is aware of that I’m an athlete nor an Olympian or that I had received a medal. So it’s sort of awkward at occasions. I like don’t actually need to — like I don’t really feel prefer it’s bragging however I’ve to.
It’s simply, yeah, I haven’t seen it. Like we took it out this morning to convey it out right here. However yeah, I haven’t seen my Rio or Tokyo Olympic Medals for the reason that day I obtained it, both. Now that I’ve three, I feel I must discover a good place to putt all of them collectively.
On the again of final week, may need been tempting to provide this week a miss. How vital is that this week going into subsequent week for you? You’ve all the time loved enjoying in Scotland.
I feel it simply sort of made sense that having the British Open in Scotland, to play the week once more prior in Scotland. I feel earlier than the Olympics, I had joked, Oh, if I had received the Gold Medal, I’ll in all probability not play the week after.
However I used to be speaking to my group and I simply wished to sort of stick with my schedule, and I feel it’s a very good factor, particularly sort of enjoying into one thing as massive as The Open. We don’t have probably the most lovely day immediately however I really feel prefer it’s like a welcome to Scotland sort of a factor.
However I all the time get pleasure from enjoying hyperlinks, and we don’t actually get to play these sort of golf programs very a lot within the 12 months.
It’s a very good preparation for subsequent week. Yeah, I feel I’d somewhat play and sort of — whether or not it’s good or unhealthy this week, to simply be on that momentum of competitively enjoying, and I do know I get a very good three weeks off after The Open. So I’m excited to have one other enjoyable couple weeks right here.
You’ve achieved a lot in your profession. You’ve not received in Scotland. How massive a purpose is that for you going ahead to tick that one off?
I haven’t personally performed that effectively at an Open Championship very a lot. Solely like two, 3 times across the Tenth-ish I’m I performed the British Open.
Yeah, I’d love to love be in competition, and I feel enjoying this week will get me extra accustomed to this type of golf. You realize, I feel individuals — one among my coaches have been asking me, oh, then what’s your purpose now, even when it’s a small purpose?
I mentioned it will be actually, actually cool to win a significant championship earlier than I’m achieved competitively enjoying.
I don’t precisely know when that point is however I feel it’s good to have one other purpose, and that’s undoubtedly a purpose of mine.
I imply if it occurs subsequent week, I imply, I’d be fairly shocked to say, particularly as a result of it’s like two of the largest occasions in my season.
I don’t know like if or when the chance goes to come back however I’d like to be extra in competition and sort of get pleasure from being in that sort of a scenario.
Discuss enjoying in Scotland there. How do you go about adjusting enjoying your sport in circumstances which might be clearly not so beneficial this week? Is there something particularly you do in a different way?
Final week was really fairly like agency, windy on just a few days, so in a methods, it did really feel like hyperlinks. That golf course, Le Golf Nationwide, is a championship golf course anyway that’s held a number of massive occasions like The French Open and Ryder Cup. In some methods, it’s related.
Solely even bin the hyperlinks course, they’re all completely different. Like Dundonald Hyperlinks is a really completely different golf course to St Andrews, and I feel it’s a part of our job to rapidly alter to the way it’s enjoying.
You realize, it’s a little bit softer for this time of the 12 months and what it may very well be round right here simply due to the rain that they have in.
You realize, it’s about adjusting and getting used to it as fast as attainable. I performed 9 holes yesterday, and I’m planning to play 9 this afternoon.
Hopefully that can give me a good suggestion on find out how to method the golf course, and yeah, sort of discover my means round to shoot the very best rating I can.
You touched on subsequent week there, as effectively, for the AIG. How particular is that going to be enjoying on the Outdated Course? Not someplace that we see girls’s majors going to quite a bit. How particular is that going to be?
Final time I used to be there was in 2013 or one thing. I performed it as an novice when Stacy received. It’s the primary time the ladies are returning since then.
I’m excited to return to a golf course that I performed at. I mentioned it’s additionally bizarre as a result of the entire majors this 12 months, even those that rotate, they’re all programs I’ve been to over these previous 12, 13 years. I really feel prefer it’s exhibiting my age a little bit bit returning to those golf programs in over like ten years.
However I’m excited to go there. Clearly there’s a whole lot of historical past there. The boys have performed there a pair occasions since we’ve final gone.
So yeah, it’s thrilling and I’m going to have my husband and my sister and my mother and my sister’s husband there.
It’s nice as a result of it is going to in all probability be my final time enjoying the British Open at St Andrews. I’m excited that we are able to all get pleasure from it collectively.
You’ve been inspiring individuals because you really began enjoying golf since an adolescent, however profitable the Olympics, what do you are feeling that’s going to do? Do you suppose that’s the largest factor that you just’ve ever achieved by way of inspiring a brand new technology maybe?
I feel golf returned to the Olympics in 2016 in over 100 years, and we had some uncommon circumstances with Zika and COVID prior to now two Video games, and this one is sort of the primary one earlier than it’s again to regular.
We had 30,000 followers yearly, and I feel it was really a celebration of sport and eventually golf was totally built-in into the Video games.
So I do hope that many extra juniors get impressed, not solely on my own however by seeing the video games and get the dream of them hoping to change into an Olympian and signify their nation in the future.
And enjoying within the Olympics and representing New Zealand was one of many largest honours of my life. I feel it’s undoubtedly a giant dream that I feel many juniors, not golfers, however in different sports activities, ought to dream of changing into as a result of if I can do it, they will do it, too, for certain.
Have you ever set a date for if you retire? Have you ever obtained a purpose in thoughts for if you end in golf?
I all the time mentioned 30 however I mentioned 30 like ten years in the past, and I don’t even know why I mentioned 30 at that time.
I’ve unhealthy days and good days, and unhealthy days, I need to stop that day. And good days, you are feeling like you would go and do that without end and it looks like that second goes to final without end.
I personally don’t know when the ending level is however I clearly have set one other purpose for myself so I’m not similar to cluelessly enjoying on tour.
You realize, even when I used to be to cease immediately, I’m clearly very grateful for every little thing that has occurred in my profession to date, however I haven’t actually set an finish date but.
However it’s one thing that I must suppose quite a bit about, and it’s undoubtedly not simply an in a single day thought, I suppose, yeah.
I do know you’ve not set a particular date as such on if you suppose you’ll name time on enjoying. Is there a chance this may very well be your final Ladies’s Scottish Open and even Open subsequent week?
In all probability not The Open. I’d — I sort of need to get by means of this 12 months first after which assess. However this 12 months will in all probability not be, like, my final aggressive 12 months.
