She has done a fairly good job of starting the script…
Who knows how many years we have left of watching the 27-year-old. But among all the brilliant years this generational talent has produced, 2024 truly has been a Cinderella story, culminating in her third major championship at the AIG Women’s Open on the holy turf of the Home of Golf.
It was eight years between drinks for Lydia at the majors, with three Olympic medals of each colour scattered in between. She is now a Hall of Fame inductee, Olympic gold medalist and a major champion at golf’s most iconic venue.
Before we go any further on Ko, let’s shine a light on how brilliant the last few days at St Andrews were. Seeing the best female golfers on the planet attempting to combat the Old Course in tempestous conditions was arguably the pick of all the major moments in 2024.
Hand up if you’re the hottest property in golf at the moment. PHOTO: Getty Images.
As a golf fan, it is primetime viewing when Mother Nature turns up. The players were dealt howling winds north of 65kph, rain and sunshine. This was a major championship that had it all. It also meant that the cream rose to the top.
The top six golfers were Ko, Jiyai Shin, Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda, Ruoning Yin and Ariya Jutanugarn, who have all spent time ranked at No.1 in the world.
CLICK HERE FOR THE REPORT FROM THE AIG WOMEN’S OPEN.
The final round was the most entertaining fourth round of the year, and the men’s U.S Open at Pinehurst was a close second.
Ko reigned supreme in conditions she hasn’t always enjoyed or played well in. However, as she has gotten older, she has learned to love links golf, and the way she played down the stretch was an example straight out of the top drawer of how to play golf’s purest form.
“I think before, I was so frustrated that it was windy and rainy, and all of the things combined and the conditions so play a big factor in how our rounds are played, but I think I’ve slowly gotten to love it more, and I love how that you have to be so creative when you play links golf,” Ko told media before the opening round.
‘The purest form’ might not be the driver she hit off the deck on the 15th, but it did show she was ready to chance her hand, win at whatever cost and think outside of the box; she made birdie while Korda was pencilling a double bogey behind her. Moving her into a share of the lead.
Major championship No.3 at golf’s most famous venue. PHOTO: Getty Images.
The up and down on 16 was world-class, as was her second into the Road Hole in the bucketing rain. The birdie on 18, while her competitors stumbled behind her, was just a prime example of stand and deliver on the biggest stage, and it would end up being the difference.
The Aucklander looked relaxed while still displaying the killer instinct that has afforded her a decade and a half of dominance. She is loving life, recently married, and has a six-month-old dog named Kai; in a life where balance is critical, Ko looks to have found the perfect pendulum.
Ko is playing to win, but she is mainly playing for her love and enjoyment of the game. Cherishing every moment of golf she has left at the top level.
We don’t know how many years Lydia Ko has left in the game, but my message to you, loyal readers, is to ensure you enjoy her while she graces your screens. She has forged a career that very few others have. She is one of the game’s great ambassadors, and at the rate she is going, more major titles could still be on the cards. But please get in quick because she isn’t going to play forever.
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