Amid Heated Battle Against Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko Repays ‘Super Supportive’ LPGA Sisters With a Special Gesture

Gestures are important; no matter how small or how big. After all, this is how you show you care right? If not everyone, Lydia Ko gets it. Her latest revelation is a testament to it. The Kiwi golfer treated a few of her fellow players, and LPGA Tour’s support staff to some Korean barbecue after the Monday practice round in Busan. Chella Choi, who is currently on maternity leave, often treated the LPGA Tour players and the staff ahead of any event. Looks like Lydia Ko has taken it on her shoulders to continue the tradition in her absence.

When asked whether Choi was the inspiration behind her warm gesture, Ko gave an assertive response. “Yeah, Chella used to do that; give a little, I guess, experience to the LPGA staff and some of the players that came over for this event,” she said. To say that Ko has had a terrific run, would be an understatement. Lydia Ko bagged the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which has made her year all the better, and helped her get into the Hall of Fame. She was grateful for the ride.

Ko thanked all her fellow members for their unwavering support of her throughout the season. “As much as we are playing against each other and we want to be the one that finishes at the top of the leaderboard every week, they have been super supportive, and some of them are girls that I’ve just known for a long time,” she added. Being a native of Korea, she knows how excited most of the players are to try Korean barbecue, and that was also one of the reasons why she decided to kick-start the week with the treat.

Lydia Ko has had one of the greatest comebacks this year. Going winless in 2023, she bagged three wins this season and added another major feather to her hat by winning the AIG Women’s Open trophy. The 22X LPGA Tour winner is also the player with the highest number of bogey-free rounds (134 rounds). While Nelly Korda has been on top of the Rolex list of the best female golfers, when it comes to the list that Ko has topped, she is not even in the top 5.

This sure does not defy that Korda has also had a beautiful season. She created history by winning 5 consecutive events on the Tour, including a major. The sensational season has sparked debate in the golf world as to who will be this year’s Player of the Year. The two are surely against each other on the greens with the heated battle going on, but off the greens, they are each other’s biggest cheerleaders.

Nelly Korda reflects on her friendship with Lydia Ko
Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko met in a playoff at the LPGA Drive-On Championship, where the American won after a late comeback. Korda has always been clear about her goals, putting all friendships aside. However, she also made a point to state, “Lyds and I have a really good friendship. She’s been someone that I looked up to actually and also enjoyed playing alongside and competing against.” Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda became friends through Jessica Korda, her elder sister.

When Lydia Ko was close to getting inducted into the Hall of Fame list, among all the players who complimented and cheered on her, Nelly Korda was one of them. “She’s super resilient and hard-working and super dedicated,” she said. She also added that no matter how difficult the time has been for her, Ko has always bounced back, just like she did this season.