Olympics Golf: Can Lydia Ko Enter LPGA Hall of Fame With a Medal Win in Paris?

“I think Paris is going to be great,” said an optimistic Lydia Ko once while alluding to the Olympics. And till now, it has been going great for the athlete. She is currently tied for the first position after the third round of play and will be hopeful of winning the gold medal on Sunday. But as the Kiwi gets ready to march on to her final day of possible glory, one can’t help but wonder if a medal there would allow her entry into one of the most prestigious honors in golf—the Hall of Fame.

The short answer is a resounding ‘Yes’ but there are conditions. As per Golfweek, the New Zealand golfer will only be able to receive a point if and only if she cards a gold medal at the quadrennial event at Le Golf National. It seems Ko is closer to the point than she has ever been since the T2 finish at the LPGA Drive On Championship back in January. For an athlete to enter the ‘Hall of Fame’, they must have amassed a total of 27 points. They can do so by raking in one point each for an LPGA Tour win, a Vare Trophy, and a Rolex Player of the Year award. Meanwhile, a major win will help the golfer gain two points. And as of two years ago, “An Olympic gold medal is also worth one point.”

The 27-year-old Lydia Ko is currently a point away from the expected 27 required for a professional to become a Hall of Famer. She had garnered the same owing to her 20 LPGA Tour victories, including two majors, two Player of the Year awards, and two Vare Trophies. And a gold at the Olympics would help her become the first golfer since Inbee Park in 2016 to get inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Ko is currently tied for the top spot with Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux. The New Zealand athlete has managed to do so by carding an overall figure of 9-under after three days of play, all thanks to her scores of 72-67-68. And a gold here will allow her to complete the trifecta, for she had won a silver and a bronze back in her previous two appearances at the prestigious event. Regardless of being on the cusp of glory, the two-time major champ is anything but concerned about the same.

Lydia Ko is not too concerned about the Hall of Fame
“I’m pretty sure it’s not going to change my life that much whether I am or I’m not,” explained Lydia Ko after the second round at the CPKC Women’s Open. She then expressed her belief in how the people who love her are going to keep doing so no matter what. Whether or not she cards another win, allowing her to get into the Hall of Fame isn’t going to change that.

She was also confident about her chances of getting into the same situation without conveying any stress. Ko said, “I feel like if I keep moving in the right direction and doing the right things, that one point,… will happen. So I’m trying to think of it as low-key as much as I can.” Interestingly, the pro had managed to get one step closer to the 27-point mark with a win at the 2024 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. But will she replicate the same at the 2024 Olympics? Her fans can only hope so!