Lydia Ko already talks about retirement at 27
"I want to finish this year first, and then think about it all again"
Freshly awarded a gold medal at the Golf National during the Paris Olympic Games, New Zealander Lydia Ko is already thinking about the end of her immense career. On the sidelines of the Women’s Scottish Open, the double major winner spoke about this potential retirement.
Stopping at the top of one’s game sometimes seems to be the best way out for the greatest athletes of our century. Will this be the choice of Lydia Ko, a 27-year-old New Zealander and gold medalist at last week’s Olympic Games in Paris to complete her personal slam of medals after winning bronze in Rio in 2016 and silver in Tokyo in 2021? In any case, the one who intends to defend her chances this week in Scotland, in preparation for the last major tournament of the year, the Women’s Open in St Andrews, spoke about the future of her career in a press conference.
Lydia Ko, results
“I want to finish this year first, and then think about it all again,” the New Zealander said in Scotland. “But this year probably won’t be my last year of competition. I’ve always said 30, but I said 30 ten years ago, and I don’t even know why I said 30 then.
I have bad days and good days, and on the bad days, I want to stop. On the good days, you feel like you could do this forever, and that this moment will last forever.” The former world number 1, who will later be inducted into the Hall of Fame (she was one point short, obtained last week at the Olympics) will however play the British major for the last time on the legendary St Andrews course.
“Personally, I don’t know when the final point will be made, but I have obviously set myself another goal so as not to just play on the tour without having a goal. Even if I had to stop today, I am obviously very grateful for everything that has happened in my career so far, but I have not yet set a date for the end of my career.” Already the best amateur player 11 years ago on the same course, Ko will this time try to improve on her best career result in one of the major tournaments that is missing from her list of achievements, with a 3rd place in 2016.
