Aug 28 (Reuters) – Lydia Ko has renewed ambitions of completing a career Grand Slam and, after a two-week span that included an Olympic gold medal and a women’s British Open triumph, said on Wednesday that the goal could impact the timing of her retirement. Following an Olympic triumph that secured her spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame, the 27-year-old New Zealander ended an eight-year wait for a third major on Sunday that moved her to third in the world rankings.
The success reignited talk about her inevitable retirement, a discussion that has followed Ko around ever since she said at 17 after turning professional that she planned to retire at 30. Having only just returned home to the United States following her recent success, Ko has not had an opportunity to think about her future but plans to set aside time to consider her options. “I do think it is an aspect that I need to think more about but I have always felt like I want to leave the game while I still love it and, if possible, when I am still playing well,” Ko said in a telephone interview.
“If things are going well it obviously gives you motivation and you think it’s always going to be that way but I know that’s not the case. “And I have always felt like I want to leave it feeling like, ‘okay, if I stayed on maybe I could have done more’ rather than thinking ‘oh I should have left then’.” Ko admits that early in her career one of her goals was to win all five majors on the LPGA circuit but that ultimately she changed her intentions after a long dry spell at the blue-riband events.
But fresh off her British Open triumph and with only a U.S. Women’s Open and Women’s PGA Championship standing in her way of that feat, Ko said visions of completing a career Grand Slam could keep her around a while longer. “That is probably maybe like my new goal just because I always want to be able to work towards something,” said Ko. “And who knows, I’ve said ‘oh I would love to win another major before I retire’ and that happened at the British so never say never.”
