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Lydia Ko, once the youngest historic champion on the LPGA tour, faced a series of ebbs and flows in her career. Though she didn't have the season she envisioned, Ko acknowledges her journey with grace. Surprisingly, she found herself among the top five global players, headlining the year's final major championship.
After a drought that lasted over a thousand days, Ko stunned the golfing world with a formidable comeback in 2021, propelling her to further successes in 2022. This revival brought with it three significant wins.
A notable victory was the grand LPGA finale, a whopping $2 million purse. This triumph saw Ko once again ascend to the world number one spot, a pinnacle she'd reached before. As the year drew to a close, Ko celebrated a personal milestone – her wedding.
Reflecting on her wins and personal joys, Ko mused, "I don't think I could have even written that in my diary and go, 'Dear Diary, I'm going to win three times this year and I'm going to get married to the love of my life,'. That's probably a story I wouldn't have even been able to imagine, but that happened."
However, post her triumphant start in Saudi Arabia, the 26-year-old's form took a dip. Her performance this year hasn't matched the elevated expectations. Her track record for the year has been subdued, with just one top-10 finish back in February. Particularly in major tournaments, her best standing was a distant 33rd.
In light of her previous stellar performances, this year saw her dip to No. 5 in world rankings and a concerning 79th in the season's points tally.
Ko's candid confession to the media before the AIG Women's Open revealed her introspection: If I said I'm happy with how I've been playing, or that I still feel like I've been doing OK, I think that would be a lie. The honest answer is, I do wish I had put myself in contention and was a little bit more consistent," Ko was quoted as saying to the media before the AIG Women's Open.
"In ways, I think internally, even though I was trying not to, I think I was comparing myself a lot to the year I had last year. I didn't think I could ever go back to No. 1 after being 50-something in the world," she stated.
Reflecting on her past mindset, Ko shared, "I doubted if I'd ever return to that top spot. I just hoped to be competitive and secure wins."
