NAPLES (Fla.) – It has been seven years since Lydia Ko was awarded the Rolex LPGA Player Of The Year award. Since then, so much has happened. Seven years ago, she was asked in the Tiburon Golf Club media room if she would rather win $1 million or the POY title. Ko, who is wise beyond her years, didn’t pick the money.
She said, “Those kinds of opportunities don’t come very often.”
She couldn’t have guessed that she would endure a three year victory drought. She would one day fall below No. 50 around the globe.
At 25 years old, she is back in the position to win the Player Of The Year award, beating Minjee Lee by one point at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. For the second year in a row, she has won the Vare Trophy.
Ko has worn a Rolex with the inscription ‘Player Of The Year’ since 2015. An everyday reminder of the possibilities.
Ko said, “A lot of ups & downs in golf and my personal life have occurred since 2015.” It would be a great summary of all the moments that have contributed to this moment, so if I were to get it, it’d be awesome. It would be even more special, yes.
Each award, including the Vare Trophy and Player of The Year, comes with an LPGA Hall of Fame Point. To be admitted to one of the most difficult Halls in sports, it takes 27. Ko doesn’t know exactly how many points she needs (5), but she knows how difficult it is to collect them.
Ko said, “When I think back to my last three wins in the last couple of years,” Ko added, “For me winning in Hawaii I waited – I know some people wait more – but it took three years for that win. It’s not always easy. I now know that I should grab them when they come up because I know that they won’t be around every time.
Ko is getting married in the next year. She said that from the beginning of her professional career, she knew she wouldn’t be here forever. Ko set 30 as her retirement age for the LPGA.
The 18-time tour winner is also a former champion of CME. If she wins here on Sunday, she would receive three Hall of Fame points in addition to the $2 million paycheck.
It is so important to reach 27 before she retires. Ko stated that if there was only one point left, she would not stay on the tour any longer than she needed to.
She said that she will retire when it feels right.
Karen Stupples of Golf Channel, a major champion golfer, believes that Ko’s greatest asset is her mind. It only gets better as you get older. Ko noted that seven-years ago, her golf score was all that determined her worth.
Ko said, “If I had an awful day on the course, it didn’t make me feel like a good person.” “I used to feel like golf was a reflection of me, but I now think that I have a better gauge and a better perspective. This is what I do, which makes it incredibly rewarding.
