Lydia Ko describes the prospect of retirement as “scary” as she prepares to tee off at the home of golf – the St Andrews Old Course – in her latest stab at a women’s major title.
Fresh from her gold medal at the Paris Olympics, interest has turned to just how long 27-year-old New Zealander Ko will stay with the sport.
She has long said she wanted to become eligible for the LPGA Hall of Fame before she considered putting away her clubs.
The Hall of Fame goal was ticked off when she climbed to the top spot of the Olympic podium this month – adding gold to silver and bronze won at the two previous Games.
It’s why journalists were quick to ask about Ko’s playing future at a press conference on the eve of the British Women’s Open in Fife, Scotland.
She would only say hanging up her clubs isn’t in her immediate future.
“It’s exciting, what’s ahead, but in a way it’s scary. I’ve played golf since I was five. This is my life whether I like it or not. Golf has given me so much to be thankful for. I think it’s not an easy decision but I know I have a great support team and family that’s so supportive,” she said.
“I’ve always said that while I’m competitively playing, I want to play at the highest level I possibly can and continuously work hard with my team to become a better, more consistent player. So that’s the goal right now.
“You know, it’s kind of been, go, go, go since the Olympics, so I haven’t really had a lot of time to think about everything. I don’t want to rush into any decisions. You know, this is definitely not my last press conference or anything like that.”
Ko revealed her gold medal was wrapped up in a towel, inside a backpack in her hotel room.
