It always stings when the golfer you root for decides to hang up their clubs. Over the years, the LPGA has seen many stars bid farewell to professional golf, with one of the most recent being Lexi Thompson, who announced her retirement back in May 2024. Sure, she still swings a club every now and then, but for a true fan, that’s just not the same. And now, adding to that bittersweet feeling, another beloved name is preparing to step away from professional golf: Lydia Ko.
Three victories in 2022 LPGA Tour and then a slight hiccup in 2023 with only two top finishes. Then came 2024, a resilient year in the golfer’s career. The past couple of years have been like a mini rollercoaster for Lydia Ko. Her retirement news hurts just a little bit more each time reading it. Ko had one of the best seasons of her career last year, bagging three LPGA Tour victories, including a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. In fact, the LPGA itself recently gave a shoutout to some of the biggest legends in women’s golf, and Ko wasn’t just among them—she was at the top of the list.
Lydia Ko has cemented her spot in history as one of the LPGA greats with a slew of wins over the past 13 seasons
Most LPGA Tour wins since beginning of 2012
Lydia Ko 23
Inbee Park 20
Jin Young Ko 15
Nelly Korda 15#InsightsByKPMG | @KPMGSports | #LPGAStats pic.twitter.com/mg4HPc17fd
— LPGA (@LPGA) March 25, 2025
She’s been setting records left and right, stacking up 23 career LPGA wins. To put that in perspective, that’s more than current World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who has 15. Right behind Ko is Inbee Park with 20 wins, followed by Jin Young Ko, also at 15. The numbers don’t lie—Lydia Ko has dominated the game. Currently competing at the Ford Championship, Ko has already kicked off her 2025 season in style, securing a win at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. But as much as we love watching her play, there’s no ignoring the fact that she has already made up her mind about retirement. Her plan? To step away from professional golf when she turns 30.
Talking about her decision, she shared that she looks up to former Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa and wants to follow a similar path. “Lorena Ochoa is somebody I really look up to. I always hoped that my career would be quite similar – and that I could do the same as her by retiring when I’m still playing well,” Lydia Ko told Golf Monthly. “I don’t know when that moment is right now, although I’ve always said that I can’t see myself playing after I’m 30.”
She’s 27 now. If we do the math, we’ve got just three more years before she officially bids farewell. But Ko isn’t done chasing her goals just yet. Before she retires, she wants to complete her career Grand Slam, which means she’s got her sights set on winning the U.S. Women’s Open and the Women’s PGA Championship. And after that? Could she trade the greens for the runway? Well, we can’t say for sure. But after her stunning Vogue photoshoot, she definitely has options!
Can the fashion world be her next stop after shining in the golf world?
Well, let’s just go with a no. Why? Because while landing a Vogue cover is definitely a bucket-list moment, navigating the high-fashion world? Yeah, not exactly Ko’s strong suit. In fact, she had a bit of a reality check during the shoot.
“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 swapping her golf clubs for the runway 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 even if modeling isn’t in the cards for her, this was still a pretty huge moment. Ko landed a spot in Vogue Korea’s March 2025 issue, which highlights trailblazing women across fashion, music, sports, and education as part of the “Women and Work: Vogue Leaders” campaign. Being one of just 22 women chosen? That’s no small feat. And honestly, Ko was just as shocked 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!”
So, while she may not be turning pro in the fashion world, Ko has already cemented her legacy in golf, leaving a mark that even the World No. 1, Nelly Korda, is still chasing. And as she inches closer to retirement, one thing’s for sure: whether it’s on the course or in front of the camera, Lydia Ko knows how to make an impact.
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