Hello Gold Medalist and new member of the LPGA Hall of Fame, Lydia Ko. Lydia, congratulations again. Is everything in, everything from last week?
Actually, I don't know if it's dead. I didn't sleep Saturday night just because of the tourism and all that. So I slept for the first time on Sunday night. It was pretty surreal. I woke up and said is that a dream? Does that really just happen?
It's very exciting. I have received great support from the players and people I know, and I am very grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
You just say that you got a lot of support from the players and others around you. What is the most impactful message you received from someone after accomplishing what you did?
You know, a lot of ladies who are already in the Hall of Fame have reached out, and especially someone like Nancy Lopez, every time I see her, she gives me good vibes. You know, there are always words of wisdom, and for someone like him to take me under his wing and support me means a lot.
There were so many people, like Meg and Beth who said they loved to cry watching me. It means a lot. I saw some of my good friends here, too. It's pretty surreal. I was talking to one of the moms yesterday and I was almost in tears again.
I think as a player and as a participant, we all know how difficult it is. So like we're all taking this journey together, and a lot of people that I play with, and to see them support me like this, it means a lot, and I think that's the biggest thing, I think it's something to be thankful for in everything. this.
You know, how does it feel to have a “Hall of Fame” right next to you — part of your title now, and what does the Hall of Fame mean to you?
It's very cool. Molly gave me a warm welcome at the Hall of Fame that Saturday. I think I've said it many times before, I didn't think I could go into any kind of Hall of Fame, and to say that I went into the Hall of Fame in my game for something that was given to me. a lot is surreal.
I know all the ladies and legends like the Hall of Fame, they can be honored, and lead the way for us to have this kind of opportunity. To say that I am part of that kind of history book is really good, and yes, I think I need about a few weeks to like to take in everything, all of this.
Can you tell us where the Gold Medal has been most of the time these past few days?
LYDIA KO: It's been in my backpack. I haven't entered the case yet. So I couldn't appreciate it fully. But it's there now.
It's nice to be able to look at that, and then it's a real will, isn't it, when you look at that?
I actually haven't looked at it in a few days. When I was flying with it, it was weird to take it off because not everyone knows that I'm an athlete or an Olympian or that I got a medal. So it is difficult sometimes. I like that I don't really want to – like I don't feel like I'm bragging but I should.
It's just, yeah, I haven't seen it. As we got it out this morning to get it out here. But yeah, I haven't seen my Rio or Tokyo Olympic medals since the day I got them. Now that I have three, I think I need to find the perfect place to house them all.
After last week, you might be tempted to miss this week. How important is this week going into next week to you? You have always enjoyed playing in Scotland.
I think it makes sense to have the British Open in Scotland, to play the week before in Scotland. I think before the Olympics, I used to joke, Oh, if I had won the Gold Medal, I probably wouldn't play the next week.
But I was talking to my team and I just wanted to stick to my plan, and I think it's a good thing, especially playing for something as big as the Open. We're not having the best day today but I feel like welcoming something to Scotland.
But I always enjoy playing the links, and we don't really get to play these types of golf courses much of the year.
Really good preparations for next week. Yeah, I think I'd rather play and be the same – whether it's good or bad this week, just being in that pressure to play competitively, and I know I'm getting a good three-week break after the Open. So I'm excited to have another fun few weeks here.
You have achieved a lot in your career. You didn't win in Scotland. How big is the goal that you go forward to mark that one?
I personally haven't played that well in the Open Championship. Like two, three times I've only played the British Open.
Yes, I would like to be in contention, and I think playing this week will get me used to this style of golf. You know, I think people – one of my coaches was asking me, oh, what's your goal now, even if it's a small goal?
I said it would be really nice, to win a major title before I finish playing competitively.
I don't know exactly when that time is but I think it's good to have another goal, and that's definitely my goal.
I mean, if it happens next week, I mean, I'm going to be shocked to say, especially because it's like two big events in my season.
I don't know when the opportunity will come but I would love to be in contention and enjoy being in that situation.
Talk about playing in Scotland there. How did you go about adjusting to playing your game in the apparently less-than-ideal conditions this week? Is there anything you do differently?
The last week has actually been like a tough, windy few days, so in a way, it felt like links. That golf course, Le Golf National, is a championship golf course anyway that has hosted many major events such as the French Open and the Ryder Cup. In a way, it's the same.
Only even bin course links, all are different. Like Dundonald Links it's a very different golf course to St Andrews, and I think it's part of our job to quickly adjust the way it plays.
Know that it's a little mild this time of year and what can happen here because of the rain they've received.
You know, it's about adjusting and adapting as quickly as possible. I played nine holes yesterday, and plan to play nine this afternoon.
Hopefully that will give me a good idea of how to get on the golf course, and yes, find my way to shoot the best score I can.
He contacted the next week there, again, with AIG. How important is that to be playing on the Old Course? Nowhere else do we see female majors doing so much. How special will that be?
I was last there in 2013 or something. I played it as a newbie when Stacy won. It is the first time the women have returned since then.
I'm excited to be back on the golf course I used to play. I said it's strange because all the majors this year, even the ones that are changing, are courses that I have attended for the past 12, 13 years. I feel like it shows my age to be coming back to these golf courses a little over the course of a decade.
But I'm excited to go there. There is obviously a lot of history there. The men have played there a few times since we last went.
So yes, it is exciting and I will have my husband and my sister and my mother and my sister's husband there.
It's good because it will probably be the last time I play the British Open at St Andrews. I'm glad we can all enjoy it together.
You've been inspiring people since you actually started playing golf as a teenager, but winning the Olympics, what do you feel that will do? Do you think that's the biggest thing you've ever done in terms of inspiring a new generation maybe?
I think golf returned to the Olympics in 2016 in over a century, and we've had some unusual situations with Zika and COVID in the last two Games, and this is the first kind before it goes back to normal.
We had 30,000 fans every year, and I think it was really a celebration of the sport and finally golf was fully integrated into the Games.
So I hope that many young people will be inspired, not only by me but by seeing the games and find their dream with the hope of becoming an Olympian and representing their country one day.
And playing in the Olympics and representing New Zealand was the biggest honor of my life. I think it's a big dream that I think a lot of young people, not golfers, but in other sports, should dream of having because if I can do it, they can do it, too, definitely.
Have you set a date for your retirement? Do you have a goal in mind when you finish playing golf?
I always said 30 but I said 30 like ten years ago, and I don't even know why I said 30 then.
I have bad days and good days, and bad days, I want to stop that day. And the good days, you feel like you could go and do this forever and it feels like that time will last forever.
I personally don't know when the end is but obviously I have set myself another goal so I'm not the same as playing recklessly on the journey.
You know, even if I were to quit today, obviously I'm very grateful for everything that has happened in my career so far, but I haven't set an end date yet.
But it's something I need to think about a lot, and it's not just an overnight thought, I think, of course.
I know you haven't set a specific date like when you think you're going to call for playtime. Any chance this could be your last Women's Scottish Open or next week's Open?
Maybe it's not Open. I would like to – I want to finish this year first and check. But this year probably won't be, like, my last year of competition.
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