Winning a major a dream that most golfers will never achieve, while entering the LPGA Hall of Fame is something even more remarkable. Unlike most Hall of Fames, the decision is not made by a committee or a jury of peers and writers, but solely on a point-based merit system.
Over the course of a career you get a point for every win on the LPGA Tour, the lowest average score during a season, a Player of the Year title, or an Olympic gold medal – plus one extra point for every Major championship title. Once a player accumulates 27 points, she is automatically enshrined in the Hall of Fame. No mean feat, given that from 2007 to 2023 only two women – Lorena Ochoa and Inbee Park – joined this illustrous circle. With her gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Lydia Ko has not only has become the 35th member of the LPGA Hall of Fame, but at 27 years of age she is the youngest player ever to accomplish this feat.
“You know, being two points away last year was actually quite difficult, because as much as people say it’s only two wins, I know how difficult two wins are, especially in this day and age,” Lydia comments. “Did I imagine that I was going to do it at the Paris Olympics? Probably not. But this is definitely the coolest way to do it!” At the moment of her biggest and most emotional triumph, she also thought about how she got there: “It’s rewarding for the whole team and family.”
