It is quite a rare sight to see a golfer with many tattoos. However, many on the professional circuit still choose to have some significant memories of their lives engraved on their bodies. One player is former World Tour No. 1, Lydia Ko. The New Zealander sports three tattoos. Out of the three, two of them signify massive achievements earned by Ko. The meaning behind the third tattoo remains a mystery.
The 20-time LPGA Tour player first got inked on the wrist of her right arm. If one looks closely, Ko has a date written in Roman numerals: April 27, 2014. This was the date when Ko won her maiden victory on the LPGA Tour at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic in Lake Merced Golf Club.
One would always want to remember their first taste of victory but for the then-16-year-old, her first win was extra special because of the presence of her loved ones, especially her father, “I got my tattoo because I want to commemorate my first championship and I won it in the presence of all my families including my father who rarely comes to watch my game.” In another interview with Golf Week, she revealed, “My parents were there and I felt like it was a very memorable win, so I got that tatted up.”
Ko had bigger plans after getting tatted up for the first time. She then shared that although the chances are slim, she shared a rather daunting tattoo idea, “Who knows if I will decide to have a dragon on my back,” Ko teased. However, she did not choose to go through with her dragon plan instead chose to celebrate another of her wins.
Lydia Ko gets a celebratory tattoo for the Olympics
In 2019, five years after getting inked for the first time, it was the five rings of the Olympics that Ko chose to forever engrave on her right biceps. This was after she represented New Zealand in the 2016 Rio Olympics. There, the 26-year-old won the silver medal for her country. It appears Ko likes to remember the dates along with the five rings, Ko also tattooed the date she won on. During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Ko talked about the significance of the five rings on her arm.
“Representing New Zealand in 2016 was probably one of the biggest highlights of my life, not as a golfer but as a person as well.”
So big that Lydia Ko got an #Olympics tattoo in 2019.
At the top-center is the date she won pic.twitter.com/chR8H7vWVy
— Olympic Golf (@OlympicGolf) August 4, 2021
“Representing New Zealand in 2016 was one of the biggest highlights of my life, not just as a golfer but as a person as well. I even got the Olympic rings tattooed with the fern,” Ko shared with the New Zealand Herald, explaining why it sort of made sense to get the Olympic rings engraved.
Ko has two tiny hearts inked on her left forearm. She got them back in 2015. Usually, the tattoo is not visible as it gets covered by the sleeves of her t-shirts. It may mean something related to love if one can guess. The LPGA Pro has not spoken about the tattoo and the significance it holds.
Lydia Ko has another tattoo! A new one. Two hearts on her left forearm. Wouldn’t say what they meant. pic.twitter.com/AVKr0kf8TQ
— LKD (@LukeKerrDineen) July 9, 2015
So far, Ko has only these in her arms. Moving forward, Lydia Ko may get more tattoos as she adds to her growing silverware shelf!
