New Zealander · Seoul, South Korea · Born 24 April 2000New Zealand golfer who became the youngest world No.1 in golf history and won Olympic gold in 2024.
Lydia Ko was born on 24 April 1997 in Seoul, South Korea, and moved with her family to Auckland, New Zealand, at four; neither of her parents played golf, but a visit to her aunt in Sydney, Australia, when Lydia was five introduced her to the sport with a seven-iron, and she was immediately hooked. Ko became the youngest golfer, male or female, ever to win a professional tour event at just 14, winning the 2012 New South Wales Open as an amateur, and went on to win the U.S. Women's Amateur and multiple professional tournaments while still an amateur, turning professional in late 2013. Ko became the youngest world No. 1 in golf history at 17 in 2015, surpassing a record previously held by Tiger Woods, and won the Evian Championship that same year to become the youngest female major champion, adding the ANA Inspiration the following year. Ko has won three major championships and two Olympic medals, including gold at the Paris 2024 Games, and was appointed a Dame Commander of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2025, remaining one of the most decorated golfers, male or female, that New Zealand has produced.
Youngest World No.1 in golf history; 2024 Olympic gold medalist
How They Played
Consistent ball-striker with excellent short game and mental toughness
Lasting Impact
Trailblazer who broke age records and inspired Asian golfers globally
Career Honours
- World No.1, youngest ever, Feb 2015
- AIG Women's Open winner 2024
- Olympic gold medal 2024
- LPGA Hall of Fame inductee 2024
New Zealander Athletes