It’s simple to think about Lydia Ko being whisked away by non-public jet from Paris to Scotland. Having fun with champagne with family and friends, admiring her gold medal.
It wasn’t fairly like that. Ko traveled as most of us do, commercially – although, doubtless in a greater part. She stated on Tuesday that she didn’t sleep a lot due to the “logistics” and she or he positively didn’t take out her new prize, as a result of, “not everyone is aware of that I’m an athlete nor an Olympian or that I had gained a medal. So, it’s form of awkward at occasions. I, like, don’t actually wish to – I don’t really feel prefer it’s bragging, however I’ve to [show the medal].”
Ko is a modest Corridor of Famer and one who’s effectively revered by each her friends and people beforehand enshrined.
The 27-year-old New Zealander, who earned LPGA HOF standing by profitable gold in final week’s Paris Olympics, stated she has acquired congratulations at each flip.
“There’s been simply so many individuals, like Meg [Mallon] and Beth [Daniel] stated they’d, like, cried watching me. It means loads,” Ko stated forward of this week’s Ladies’s Scottish Open. “I’ve seen a few of my good mates 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.”
Ko has traded within the Metropolis of Gentle for 2 weeks of the Scottish parts. She’ll compete this week at Dundonald Hyperlinks earlier than heading to St. Andrews for the AIG Ladies’s Open on the Previous Course.
Getting relaxation has been a problem, as has getting re-adjusted to hyperlinks golf. Ko stated she’s attempting to do the latter, “as fast as potential.” She performed 9 holes on Monday and 9 holes on Tuesday.
This week, nonetheless, is about preparation for subsequent week. And subsequent week is actually when Ko begins her subsequent chapter.
Ko stated she was requested by a crew member, “what’s your purpose now?”
“I stated it will be actually, actually cool to win a significant championship earlier than I’m completed competitively taking part in,” stated Ko, who has two main wins to her credit score however none since 2016.
The AIG is the final main of the season and one by which Ko doesn’t have the best monitor report, with solely two top-10 finishes. Successful at St. Andrews, on high of profitable gold and incomes a spot within the Corridor of Fame, would proceed the fairytale.
But when it doesn’t occur, Ko stated she’s fairly sure there might be extra main alternatives in her future.
“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 taking part in on tour,” she stated.
“I form of wish to get by means of this yr first after which assess. However this yr will most likely not be, like, my final aggressive yr.”
