In many other years, the season Lydia Ko has had would have been talked about as an all-time great, with the New Zealander making a triumphant return to form in 2024.
It is remarkable to think that Lydia Ko was not even in the field for the 2023 CME Group Tour Championship – an event she had won twice before. However, there appeared to be questions being asked about the 27-year-old’s future after a winless year.
But 2024 was much more successful for Ko. She won three times on the LPGA, with a third major in her career coming as she won the Women’s Open at St Andrews. She finished two shots clear of a host of players at the Old Course, including Nelly Korda.
Lydia Ko picks the highlight from her 2024 season
Just before that, Ko had won the Olympic gold medal in Paris. Incredibly, Ko is the only golfer to win a gold, silver and bronze since the sport returned to the Games in 2016.
And speaking after finishing third at the CME Group Tour Championship, Ko shared what the standout moment from her amazing year proved to be.
“Probably the Olympics. The Olympics comes around every four years and knowing that Paris was going to be my last, there was no other opportunity for me internally. So to know that it was my last time to be able to win a gold and to be able to represent New Zealand at the Olympics, the last is not repeatable,” she said.
“And for me to make all my dreams come true by winning the gold there has just been unbelievable, and the string of events that I’ve had even after that, winning the AIG Women’s Open and just playing consistently, I think it’s helped a lot with my confidence. I’m excited for what’s ahead.”
Why Ko is extremely unlucky in 2024
It is incredible to think that Ko will not be the player of the year for 2024. Winning a major, an Olympic gold medal and two events on the LPGA is a phenomenal achievement, particularly as she failed to secure a single victory in 2023.
But it is hard to look past Nelly Korda as the standout player this year. Korda also won a major title, clinching the Chevron Championship, while she also won six more times, including last week at The ANNIKA.
It would appear that Ko has little intention of still playing by the time the 2028 Olympics come around, but there is definitely the potential for a fantastic rivalry between herself and Korda to break out over the next couple of years.
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