Lydia Ko was probably sitting down comfortably for a press conference after a terrific performance at the Sentosa Golf Club. After all, she had a flawless 5-under par 67 to move up 5 spots to 2nd place. Ko must be quite pleased with herself after she surpassed the likes of Charley Hull, Ayaka Furue, and the 2025 Founders Cup champion, Yealimi Noh, in the event’s second round. Now just 1 stroke away from A Lim Kim, she gave everyone a glimpse at the recent change in her mindset.
There is one vital career achievement that has made her feel fulfilled and happier. In August 2024, after a successful campaign at the Paris Olympics, Ko overcame another milestone. One that she could have received in January of the same year if not for the intervention of Nelly Korda. Lydia Ko received a LPGA Hall of Fame induction. Despite the short delay, which she is not upset with Korda about, the New Zealander was still the youngest golfer to receive the honor.
Ko was all smiles in the press conference at the 2025 HSBC Women’s World Championship. Noticing the positive change in her demeanour, one journalist questioned, “Last year, you won the Gold Medal, you got into the Hall of Fame, and I know you have more goals, but how much are you enjoying life now?”
Confirming everyone’s assumptions, Ko replied, “I’m definitely having more fun, and in ways, I feel like I’m in a position where I can go for things and try new things and obviously not veer off what was good from last year. But I think it is a little bit of a different mindset.” The Hall of Fame induction has certainly unchained the 27-year-old from her fears of not having a successful enough career.
But that doesn’t mean that the LPGA Tour pro doesn’t have any aspirations. As she stated, “I still have goals, and while I’m still playing, I want to play the best golf I can and contend as much as I can. There’s no better feeling than being the person that’s hoisting the trophy at the end of Sunday.” As we can see, Ko is still as eager as ever, and she is going into the Singapore event with the intent to win. After all, she has stated that she would like to win as many titles as she can before she thinks of retiring. Her primary goal is obviously to become a Grand Slam champion. Despite an illustrious career, the U.S. Women’s Open and the Women’s PGA Championship still evade her.
But Ko does realize that she is in a far better state of mind to go in for the major wins than she was before winning the Hall of Fame. She also said, “A lot of personal goals, but I think I’m going out there with maybe a little bit more freedom and I think a clear, I guess, result of that was in Bradenton. I was 6-over through seven and that was probably the worst start I’ve ever had but I was able to turn it around really quick because I tried something on the golf course and that feel has been good and it’s helped me since now.” Unfortunately, her efforts in the 2025 Founders Cup didn’t help her secure the title. Ko finished T48 with a 1-under 283 at the Bradenton Country Club. Still, the 27-year-old admitted, “Yeah, it’s definitely a very thankful position to be in.”
Paris 2024 Olympics – Golf – Women’s Victory Ceremony – Le Golf National, Guyancourt, France – August 10, 2024. Gold medallist Lydia Ko of New Zealand poses with her medal as she celebrates after winning the event REUTERS/Paul Childs
With the strong mentality going into the season, what can we expect to see from Lydia Ko in the coming months? Let’s explore the possibilities.
Lydia Ko’s goals for 2025
As Lydia Ko has mentioned, the U.S. Women’s Open and the Women’s PGA Championship are her primary goals. And both the majors occur within a few weeks of each other. But Ko will need to pick up momentum before joining the field for the U.S. Women’s Open on May 29, 2025. What better way to do that than taking advantage of the form in the ongoing HSBC Women’s World Championship?
Ko will be determined to win the event going into the weekend. Her most fiercest competitor, Nelly Korda, is skipping the Asian leg of the LPGA Tour. Hence, the New Zealand golfer is the favorite to win the event. If Ko does win it, then it will be her first in the HSBC Women’s World Championship. That means this will be another title added to her previously won 22 championship trophy cabinet.
Beyond that, Lydia Ko will also be a part of the 2025 Chevron Championship from April 24-27, 2025. Ko wouldn’t mind having a second go at it against the defending champion, Nelly Korda. Especially since she has already won the major in 2016. It will surely be an interesting contest to watch.
Coming back to the present, do you think Lydia Ko will win the 2025 HSBC Women’s World Championship? Let us know in the comments section.
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