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Dame Lydia Ko ready to raise bar after Supreme Halberg Award win
Stephen Foote • February 19th, 2025 9:00 am
Photo: Photosport
Believe her or not, Dame Lydia Ko insists she wasn't feeling confident in her chances of scoping the most coveted prize of the evening at Tuesday's Halberg Awards.
Up against the likes of Dame Lisa Carrington and Hamish Kerr after the country's historic medal haul at the Paris Olympics, Ko assumed the judges would sway in their direction, despite having contributed a gold medal herself to that cause.
Instead, It was Ko who won the battle of the Dames, announced as the recipient of the Supreme Halberg award for the second time in her decorated golfing career.
"I didn't think I was going to get it just because we had just had our most successful Olympics and there's just so many amazing athletes that represent New Zealand," Ko told Sport Nation's Scotty & Izzy.
"So to receive the award, I'm obviously very humbled and really honoured."
Ko's spectacular 12 months on the links made her impossible for the judging panel to ignore.
Lydia Ko celebrates her Olympic gold I Photo: AAP
Her unparalleled run of excellence began with gold at Paris 2024, before winning the prestigious Women's British Open, the LPGA’s Tournament of Champions, and the Kroger Queen City Championship.
Those titles sealed the 27-year-old's spot as the youngest inductee ever to the LPGA's Hall of Fame, as well as her appointment as Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Ko credits her relentless will to win as the primary motivating factor in her stellar year.
And while she admits she's now set herself a daunting high bar for next season, Ko says she's now content with where she stands and has nothing left to prove - but that competitive fire still burns brightly.
"I don't even like losing to my dad if we play a fun match.
"I still want to play the highest level of golf I can. I've always said I want to retire while playing well and not because I can't compete against the next 18-year-old that comes on tour.
"Not everybody has the opportunity to be able to do what they love and to be able to excel in that. I've been very fortunate to be able to experience both and I want to put in my 100 percent until that last moment and just kind of see where it goes.
"I'm excited for it this year, I really am. I think there was a little bit of a worry in my mind that I had a good year and what if I can't back that year up.
"But I think I've kind of come to peace to say I don't really have to prove anything to anybody else, and who's to say that I had a great year but I'm going to have an even better year."
Lydia Ko wins 2024 British Open I Photo: AAP
Ko still has her target set on ticking off one more gargantuan box - a career Grand Slam, a feat only four other golfers in history have achieved.
After last year's triumph at the British Open, the Women's PGA Championship and the US Women's Open are the only trophies missing from her bulging cabinet.
Ko admits she'd previously thought the Slam would be a bridge too far, until her win at St Andrews injected her with some newfound confidence.
"I'd never played necessarily that well at a British Open before and then I won the Women's Open at St. Andrews last year. It kind of gave me the hope to say that I can turn things around," she explained.
"I would love to be in the very small group of people that have won the US Women's Open. That is probably the biggest star on my schedule.
"Any win is a win. Even small wins are wins. I'm just trying to take it a day at a time. I'm really excited for this year.”
Listen to the full interview below:
