Hey 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, all the pieces from final week?
I truly 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 wakened, like, was {that a} dream? Did that simply actually occur?
Tremendous thrilling. I’ve gotten an amazing quantity of help from the gamers and the those who I do know, and simply very grateful for actually this once-in-a-lifetime alternative.
You simply talked about you’ve gotten lots of help from the gamers and others round you. What has been probably the most impactful message that you just’ve gotten from somebody after undertaking what you’ve accomplished?
You understand, lots of the women which can be already within the Corridor of Fame reached out, and particularly any individual like Nancy Lopez, each time I see her, she offers me good vibes. You understand, all the time phrases of knowledge, and for any individual like her to love take me below her profitable and help me means rather a lot.
There’s been simply so many individuals, like Meg and Beth stated that they had like cried watching me. It means rather a lot. I’ve seen a few of my good mates right here, as properly. It’s fairly surreal. I used to be speaking to one of many mothers yesterday and practically introduced tears to my eyes once more.
I believe as a participant and like any individual that’s concerned, everyone knows how arduous it’s. So like we’re all occurring this journey collectively, and so most of the those who I play alongside, and to see them help me like this, it means rather a lot, and I believe 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 believe I’ve stated a number of instances earlier than, I didn’t actually assume I used to be able to getting in any kind 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 can be like within the Corridor of Fame, they’re it the greats, and so they led this pathway for us to have this type of alternative. To say that I’m a part of that sort of historical past guide is basically cool, and yeah, I believe I virtually want like a couple of weeks off to love actually take all the pieces 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 properly. However it’s proper there now.
It’s good to have the ability to take a look at that, after which it’s actual will, isn’t it, if you take a look at that?
I haven’t truly checked out it in a few days. After I was flying with it, it was bizarre to sort of take it out as a result of not all people is aware of that I’m an athlete nor an Olympian or that I had gained a medal. So it’s sort of awkward at instances. I like don’t actually wish 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 deliver it out right here. However yeah, I haven’t seen my Rio or Tokyo Olympic Medals for the reason that day I acquired it, both. Now that I’ve three, I believe I have to discover a good place to putt all of them collectively.
On the again of final week, might need been tempting to offer this week a miss. How essential is that this week going into subsequent week for you? You’ve all the time loved enjoying in Scotland.
I believe it simply sort of made sense that having the British Open in Scotland, to play the week once more prior in Scotland. I believe earlier than the Olympics, I had joked, Oh, if I had gained the Gold Medal, I’ll most likely not play the week after.
However I used to be speaking to my workforce and I simply wished to sort of follow my schedule, and I believe it’s a great factor, particularly sort of enjoying into one thing as massive as The Open. We don’t have probably the most stunning day right this moment however I really feel prefer it’s like a welcome to Scotland sort of a factor.
However I all the time take pleasure in enjoying hyperlinks, and we don’t actually get to play these sort of golf programs very a lot within the yr.
It’s a extremely good preparation for subsequent week. Yeah, I believe I’d somewhat play and sort of — whether or not it’s good or dangerous this week, to only be on that momentum of competitively enjoying, and I do know I get a great 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 gained in Scotland. How massive a aim is that for you going ahead to tick that one off?
I haven’t personally performed that properly 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 rivalry, and I believe enjoying this week will get me extra accustomed to this model of golf. You understand, I believe folks — one in all my coaches had been asking me, oh, then what’s your aim now, even when it’s a small aim?
I stated it could be actually, actually cool to win a significant championship earlier than I’m accomplished competitively enjoying.
I don’t precisely know when that point is however I believe it’s good to have one other aim, and that’s positively a aim 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 rivalry and sort of take pleasure in being in that sort of a scenario.
Speak about enjoying in Scotland there. How do you go about adjusting enjoying your sport in circumstances which can be clearly not so beneficial this week? Is there something particularly you do otherwise?
Final week was truly fairly like agency, windy on a couple of 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 totally different. Like Dundonald Hyperlinks is a really totally different golf course to St Andrews, and I believe it’s a part of our job to shortly regulate to the way it’s enjoying.
You understand, it’s a little bit softer for this time of the yr and what it may very well be round right here simply due to the rain that they have in.
You understand, it’s about adjusting and getting used to it as fast as doable. 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 method round to shoot the perfect rating I can.
You touched on subsequent week there, as properly, 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 rather a lot. 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 beginner when Stacy gained. 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 stated it’s additionally bizarre as a result of all the majors this yr, 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 lots of historical past there. The boys have performed there a pair instances 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’s going to most likely be my final time enjoying the British Open at St Andrews. I’m excited that we will all take pleasure in it collectively.
You’ve been inspiring folks because you truly began enjoying golf since a youngster, however profitable the Olympics, what do you’re feeling that’s going to do? Do you assume that’s the largest factor that you just’ve ever accomplished when it comes to inspiring a brand new era maybe?
I believe golf returned to the Olympics in 2016 in over 100 years, and we had some uncommon circumstances with Zika and COVID previously 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 believe it was actually a celebration of sport and at last 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 develop 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 believe it’s positively a giant dream that I believe 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 acquired a aim in thoughts for if you end in golf?
I all the time stated 30 however I stated 30 like ten years in the past, and I don’t even know why I stated 30 at that time.
I’ve dangerous days and good days, and dangerous days, I wish to stop that day. And good days, you’re feeling like you could possibly go and do that ceaselessly and it appears like that second goes to final ceaselessly.
I personally don’t know when the ending level is however I clearly have set one other aim for myself so I’m not identical to cluelessly enjoying on tour.
You understand, even when I used to be to cease right this moment, I’m clearly very grateful for all the pieces that has occurred in my profession up to now, however I haven’t actually set an finish date but.
However it’s one thing that I have to assume rather a lot about, and it’s positively not simply an in a single day thought, I suppose, yeah.
I do know you’ve not set a selected date as such on if you assume you’ll name time on enjoying. Is there a risk this may very well be your final Girls’s Scottish Open and even Open subsequent week?
Most likely not The Open. I’d — I sort 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.
