Seeing your favorite sports star in a completely different avatar? Now that’s an amazing feeling! Golfers, in particular, rarely step out of their signature fairway look, making it all the more exciting when they do. First, we had World No. 1 Nelly Korda gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated, and now, following in her stylish footsteps, is none other than Lydia Ko!
Yes, the New Zealander just landed on the cover of Vogue Korea, and she looks absolutely stunning. The magazine’s March 2025 issue celebrates trailblazing women from various industries including fashion, music, sports, and education—under the campaign “Women and Work: Vogue Leaders.” And Ko is among the 22 inspiring women featured. Naturally, she was just as surprised as the rest of us. Sharing the cover on Instagram, she wrote, “Never did I think that I’d ever be on the cover of a fashion magazine. Thank you @voguekorea @loropiana for bringing out the ‘model’ in me!”
Turns out, the whole experience was such an eye-opener that Ko even started watching YouTube videos of runway walks! Speaking at a press conference for the HSBC Women’s World Championship, she admitted, “I’m definitely not going to be walking down the hotel hallway trying to see how my walk is going to be like. But it just makes you realize, like, wow, what they do is like an art. It’s really beautiful.”
And apparently, the transformation was so dramatic that even she did a double take! “Some people are like, ‘Oh, is she the same person?’” she laughed. “It was so much fun, and obviously my first experience, really, of being on a fashion magazine outside of golf clothes and my hat. I think the hat, in particular, is a signature look for all of us—that’s how most people recognize us.”
But perhaps the most hilarious part? Ko had no idea how high-fashion works. “Like my cover shoot, I wore the dress backward. Like, the back that was open? That’s actually the front,” she admitted. “So when they told me to wear it the other way around, I was like, dang, I really don’t understand fashion. But it came out great, and obviously, they had that eye to be able to catch the beauty in all that.”
Safe to say, she won’t be trading her golf clubs for the catwalk anytime soon. “I’m honestly not envious of the models that do this quite often. It’s a lot of work and a lot of people to make that cover shoot the way it is.” But hey, at least she found a pantsuit that was totally her vibe.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Ko—and her fans and fellow golfers are just as hyped about it as she is…
Lydia Ko gets praised by her peers and supports for her new look
Jessica Korda, who’s no stranger to serving looks herself, was one of the first to drop in with “Beautiful .” Short, sweet, and straight-up facts. Then there’s Michelle Wie West, who’s basically the golf world’s style queen. She went full caps-lock mode, screaming, “YOU LOOK AMAZING!!!!!” And to be fair, when Michelle hypes up your fashion moment, you know you did something right.
Former LPGA pro-Jane Park jumped in with, “Add model to that resume .” And honestly? She’s onto something. If Lydia ever wants a side hustle, the fashion industry would gladly take her. Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods’ niece and all-around style icon, kept it simple but heartfelt with, “So beautiful!!!” Because really, what more needs to be said? And then there’s Suzann Pettersen, who skipped the formalities and went straight for the vibe check with, “Hot mama.” Iconic!
But it wasn’t just the LPGA pros showering Lydia with love—fans were all over it too. One particularly wholesome comment summed it up best: “They could not have picked a better person! You not only model beauty, but kindness, integrity, humility, honor, determination, and so many other outstanding qualities.”
And that’s what makes this moment even better. It’s not just about Lydia slaying a Vogue cover—it’s about the kind of person she is. The golf world isn’t just celebrating her fashion debut; they’re celebrating her.
The post Amid Hiatus, Lydia Ko’s Glamorous Feature Sends Fellow LPGA Stars and Fans Into a Frenzy: ‘Hot Mama’ appeared first on EssentiallySports.