She is now a pure soul known for her kindness and quiet strength, but did you know Lydia Ko was once a crappy person? That’s right! But everything changed when someone walked into her life, shifting not just how she saw the world, but how she saw herself.
Speaking on the No Laying Up podcast, Lydia Ko opened up about a lesser-known part of her journey, the quiet but powerful role her husband played in helping her become who she is today.
“He made me realize that there’s more to life than golf. And you know, obviously my family and I, we’ve been so invested in my career that, you know, that’s what it kind of revolved around,” Lydia Ko said. Her husband helped her rebuild a golf career that had once been entirely shaped by her parents. Ko often calls her mother her biggest inspiration. She spoke about the sacrifices her mum made, driving her to tournaments all over New Zealand and flying with her to the U.S. when she was just 11 or 12. With no GPS at the time, her mum would print out maps and spend hours behind the wheel to get her to events. For Lydia, golf wasn’t just a game. It was her way of giving back to the people who gave up so much for her.
“I think that’s what brought me to the positions I was in and gave me a lot of opportunities,” Ko said. “But also, I think that’s why I was so hard on myself, because if I didn’t play good golf, then I was a crappier human being.” That level of pressure and baggage came from years of single-minded dedication. Ko committed herself fully to the game from a young age; she was only 15 when she won her first event 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open. And now she has 23 professional wins, including three major championships. She is currently ranked No. 3 on the LPGA Tour.
But that success came at a cost. Ko didn’t give herself much time outside of golf. “When things don’t go well, it doesn’t really make a difference in that way. You just feel it emotionally at that point in time,” Ko added. When her game wasn’t where she wanted it to be, everything else seemed to suffer. Golf had such a strong hold on her emotions that it affected how she moved through daily life. But then her husband gave her something she didn’t know she needed: a changed perspective.
“Meeting him, I think, just opened my eyes to saying that.. Lydia Co is a golfer, but at the end of the day, she’s a human being…I’m no different from anybody else,” she added. It was a turning point. Ko, who had spent most of her life in the spotlight, had rarely looked beyond scorecards and rankings. But when she met Chung Jun on a blind date in 2020, set up by mutual friends, things began to shift. The two got married on December 30, 2022, at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul.
He brought a sense of balance to her life. He showed her there’s more to the world than the next tee time or leaderboard. That shift didn’t take away her hunger to compete. Instead, it reminded her that who she is off the course matters just as much as what she does on it.“He really um taught me that. I’ve gotten to enjoy golf more..on a different outlook,” she added. With his support, Ko started to see herself in a new light. She is one of the most talented players on the LPGA Tour, but she no longer lets the game define her worth.
Sure, her husband has been a big part of her journey, but he’s not the only one in her corner. Lydia Ko has also leaned on quiet supporters who have stood by her every step of the way, none more important than her sister and her longtime friend.
Lydia Ko’s Support System Is Bigger Than It Seems
Her sister, Sura Ko, has also played a big role in Lydia’s journey. She’s her sister, but also her manager, and someone Lydia leans on through every up and down. Their bond is built on years of trust and a shared love for the game. That connection came through in a recent Golf Channel video, where Sura sent a sweet congratulatory message after Lydia’s LPGA Hall of Fame induction. “Congrats, sweetie… you’re the most deserving person to get this,” she said. The message brought Lydia to tears and showed just how strong their sisterly bond really is.
One of them is Danielle Kang, who isn’t just a fellow pro to Ko, she’s like family. The two have been friends for over 15 years, and their bond runs way deeper than golf. They’ve practiced side by side, traveled across the world, and leaned on each other through the grind of tour life. Kang once called Ko her “rock” and “bright light,” and honestly, that says it all.
The trophies are nice, but for Lydia, it’s the people around her who make the journey truly special.
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