Professional golfer Lydia Ko is the younger of the two daughters of South Korean parents, Ko Gil-hong and Hyeon Bong-sook. Born in South Korea, she emigrated to New Zealand with her parents when she was four.
Speaking of Ko’s interest in golf, it all started at age five when her mother took her to the golf course near Auckland. Soon after, the Pupuke Golf Club’s owner Guy began coaching her, which improved her skills.
Although her parents did not play professionally, they loved the game and encouraged both their daughters to play golf. However, Lydia’s older sister, Sura, did not pursue a professional golf career.
Lydia Ko is a professional golfer who competes in international tournaments representing New Zealand. Currently, in her mid-twenties, Lydia turned professional in 2014 at the age of sixteen.
A year later, Ko reached the no. 1 in the Women’s World Golf Rankings, making her the youngest-ever player to achieve the feat in professional golf. In 2012, she became the youngest player to win the LPGA tour, winning the Canadian Women’s Open at 15.
In her professional career spanning around a decade, she has won 27 titles, including 19 LPGA tours.
Lydia Ko Parents: Father Ko Gil-hong & Mother Hyeon Bong-sook
Lydia Ko was born to her parents, Ko Gil-hong and Hyeon Bong-sook, on April 24, 1997, in Seoul, South Korea. Besides her, her parents had a daughter named Sura Ko, who is around nine years older than Lydia.
When she was four, Lydia’s parents emigrated to Aukland, New Zealand, hoping for a better future for their kids.
There is not much known about her father but Lydia has often said that her mother had an important role in assisting her find her career path when she was a kid.
In fact, she developed an interest in golf after her mother began taking her to golf courses frequently when she was around five. Soon after, she began taking up golf practice sessions at Pupuke Golf Club in Aukland.
Following this, she continued participating in numerous golf tournaments across New Zealand and there was always her mother to accompany her.
When her former coach David Leadbetter criticized her parents for spoiling her career in the past, Lydia backed her mother saying she had only reached the place she is today because of her mother’s devotion to her games.
Ko further added that her mother has been an inspiration and role model to her throughout her life.
Little On Lydia Ko’s Career
Lydia Ko started competing in national amateur championships in New Zealand when she was just seven.
Although she continued studying at Pinehurst School in Albany, she mostly attended correspondence classes, while always on tours playing golf. On January 29, 2012, Lydia won the Bing Lee/ Samsung Women’s NSW Open at the ALPG Tour at 14.
Lydia has won 19 LPGA Tours, 7 European Tours, and 5 ALPG Tours in her career to date, winning millions in prize money.
Similarly, for her contributions to the sport and nation, she was named the Young New Zealander of the Year in 2016. Furthermore, she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2019.
