How Lydia Ko's Husband Helped Save LPGA Legend's Hall of Fame Career
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Lydia Ko, the 23-time LPGA winner, tasted success remarkably early, but her journey was not without its share of challenges and mental stress - the kind that often accompanies a professional golfing career.
And the fun fact? She still embraces them all, as seen in her latest interview with Golf.com. The three-time Olympic champion walked viewers through the significance of each trophy in her 'trophy room', including her early wins.
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 10: Lydia Ko of Team New Zealand reacts following victory on Day Four of the Women's Individual Stroke Play on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Le Golf...
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 10: Lydia Ko of Team New Zealand reacts following victory on Day Four of the Women's Individual Stroke Play on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Le Golf National on August 10, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) More
Getty Images
The LPGA pro started winning at just 15, bagged the player of the year award at just 17 when she was just 'the girl in specs.' In total, Ko snagged 14 titles as a teenager.
But just like her success came early, Ko was quick to decide on her retirement from professional golf. It happened last year after the 28-year-old opened the lid on her retirement plan before 30, just as she grabbed the Olympic golf medal.
That move sparked curiosity, with some speculating that Ko might be seeking a better work-life balance, similar to LPGA star Lexi Thompson, who transitioned to part-time golf.
Ko's own words offer insight into the pressures she faced, as she sarcastically remarked, "Oh, I cry about golf all the time," during the interview.
She further elaborated on her emotional struggles, recalling a particularly tough moment at age 12:
"I remember when I was 12, I had to play 36 strokes or something for my birthday, for my New Zealand stroke play and I shot like 79 and was like - 'I suck, I hate golf, I hate me.'"
The vivid memory of that frustration was etched in her mind, especially since it happened while she was "eating Korean black bean noodles and just like crying."
Ko's intense passion for the game was evident, as she explained that her emotional investment brought both "happy tears and upset tears."
As Lydia Ko opened up about her struggles, she shares one particularly upsetting moment that is still clear in her mind. It was when the pro was 23, playing at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. Ko recounted:
"I had a really good round the first day at the Walmart and it was the first time I kind of shot under par in a couple months." She carded 71 in the first round.
Sadly, her momentum faltered the next day, as she struggled with consistency, hitting "a few chips like in the same up and down, up and down."
Ko shared how, out of frustration, she called her husband Jun, saying, "No, I don't know why."
ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 25: Lydia Ko of New Zealand, poses with the AIG Women's Open trophy with her husband, Chung Jun on the Swilcan Bridge following victory on Day Four of the AIG...
ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 25: Lydia Ko of New Zealand, poses with the AIG Women's Open trophy with her husband, Chung Jun on the Swilcan Bridge following victory on Day Four of the AIG Women's Open at St Andrews Old Course on August 25, 2024 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by) More
Getty Images
She further shared how Jun's calm response, "Hey, like golf is not just it to your life," offered a different perspective. Yet, her frustration ran deep, making the situation intensely personal.
Ko admitted that when Jun tried to calm her down, she argued, "You don't know what you're talking about it. It's just everything was just so personal." As Ko reflected on her relationship with her husband, it became clear that his presence has been a game-changer in her life and career.
It was also evident as Lydia shared, "Golf takes up a lot of time, and my identity is so connected to it," she confessed, revealing the all-consuming nature of her profession.
However, Jun's presence has helped her realize that there's more to her identity than just being "the golfer Lydia Ko."
This shift in perspective has been instrumental in bringing balance to her life, allowing her to navigate the pressures of professional golf with greater ease and perspective.
The stellar impact is also visible in her recent performance. The 28-year-old is still on the run actively, as reflected by her recent win on March 2nd, where she carded a 3-under 69 to snag the HSBC Women's World Championship title.
Beyond being a calming influence, Jun also shares her passion for golf, and the couple has developed a deeper bond over shared moments, both on and off the course.
More Golf: U.S. Open Site Suffers 'Significant Damages' amid Torrid Storms
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
WNBA All-Star Game 2025: Caitlin Clark Opens Up About Injury Recovery, Her Mental-Health Musts, and the One Health Stat Every Woman Should Know
Getty Images As a pro athlete, Caitlin Clark has access to some of the most innovative wellness treatments—red-light therapy, dry needling, hyperbaric oxygen chambers—which she's currently using as she recovers from the groin injury that kept her from competing in Friday's 3-point contest and Saturday's All-Star Game during the WNBA All-Star Weekend. But her favorite tactics for staying mentally and physically on-point are the most basic—and the most accessible. 'I've obviously done everything under the sun, but [for me] there's no better rest and recovery than just straight up sleeping,' she told Glamour Global Editorial Director Samantha Barry in Indianapolis on Saturday. When she's not sleeping, Caitlin said one of her favorite ways to de-stress and decompress is by rewatching Disney movies. 'The other day I watched The Parent Trap, which literally never gets old, even though I know every single word in it,' she said. Things she doesn't do: Pump herself up pre-game using intense music (she prefers silence or calming songs) or lose herself in Love Island. ('I watched the first episode but couldn't get into it. Maybe it was too cringe for me? And it takes a lot of time—there's a new episode like every single day! I just couldn't do it.') These were just a few of the personal insights Clark shared during an All-Star Weekend event Glamour co-hosted with Eli Lilly and Company, the Indiana-based company that sponsors Clark's WNBA team, the Indiana Fever. (Clark is also a Lilly ambassador.) A celebration of women's sports, health, and community, the event centered around one key statistic from the American Cancer Society: There's a five-year relative survival rate of up to 99 percent when breast cancer is detected early and hasn't spread beyond the breast. Lilly memorably broadcast this stat at the first Women's College All-Star Combine during the NCAA women's Final Four tournament in April, where it outfitted all 30 WNBA draft prospects in matching 99 jerseys. They also partnered with Black Health Matters and Meridan Mobile Mammography to bring mobile mammogram units to All-Star Weekend. 'I encourage you to spread the news around 99,' Lina Polimeni, Lilly's chief corporate brand officer, told the crowd at Artsgarden. 'Make sure as many people as possible get to know that number and the importance of early screening.') 'Hosting this event during WNBA All-Star Weekend was about more than celebration—it was a statement,' Barry said. 'Athletes like Caitlin Clark are redefining what strength, focus, and resilience look like.' Clark opened up about how she prioritizes both her physical and mental health while navigating a high-pressure profession in the public eye. 'Obviously I love playing basketball, but it can be stressful having so many eyes on you all the time, and during the season, you're just going game to game to game,' she said. That's why she makes sure to enjoy some restorative downtime with her teammates during their travels, even if that's just going on an evening walk or finding a restaurant to try. Her other favorite way to unwind when she has time: playing golf, which she's eager to get back to post-injuries. 'This is the first time I haven't felt like a young body that can run around and sprint every day and just continue to do that,' she said. 'Being a professional athlete, you really have to take care of both your body and your mind—it's been a journey learning about that.' That's included regularly opening up to a professional about how she's feeling. 'We have a sports psychologist on our staff who I sometimes meet with multiple times a week, to not only talk about basketball but other things in life, and that's something that's been important to me over the course of my career,' she says. 'I don't just talk about things that stress me out but also the joys in my life, and that's always a good reminder and reset for me.' She's also grown to understand the importance of turning to family, friends, her coach, and her teammates for support. 'When you have an athlete or role model you look up to, it's easy to see them as always happy and living a glamorous life, but it's not always like that,' she said. 'We go through difficult things too, and being able to lean on people and tell them your frustrations or that you're not OK is really important.' Another mental-health outlet: Clark has a longtime pre-game ritual of journaling. 'It makes me really intentional about what I want to accomplish and is a good reset if I'm feeling nervous or anxious about the game, to kind of wipe that away,' she said. Saturday's event—which featured healthy snacks, a skills-and-drills session with a professional coach, Pop-A-Shot, and custom '99' T-shirt-making—also included a fireside chat between two other big names in sports whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer: ESPN SportsCenter anchor and breast-cancer survivor Hannah Storm and Juju Watkins, University of Southern California guard, who lost her grandmother to breast cancer in 2019. 'It's so important for women to take the time to put themselves and their health first,' Watkins said. She recalled a time when a girl came to one of her games with a poster with two check boxes on it: beat cancer, and meet Juju. 'She saw me as an inspiration in some way, but I was like, 'You're literally a superhero standing in front of me.' This topic is so personal to me because of my story with my grandmother. It's so important to spread the word and the message that even though you can't necessarily prevent cancer, you can get ahead of it.' Storm added some of her own perspective as a recent cancer survivor. 'If you find your cancer early—which happened to me last year—you can have up to a 99 percent survival rate. That's why it's really, really important to do that testing,' she said. Attendees included NBA players Tyus Jones and Tre Jones; Caitlin's Fever teammate Lexie Hull; UCONN Huskies forward Sarah Strong; former WNBA stars like ESPN host/analyst Chiney Ogwumike, podcaster/analyst Renee Montgomery; comedians Leslie Jones and Cedric the Entertainer, and TV stars like The Home Edit's Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer, a breast-cancer survivor, and Bethenny Frankel of Real Housewives of New York City. 'We always need to be reminded as women that [breast cancer] can happen to anyone at any age,' she said in her Instagram Story from the event. 'I love that Glamour is here with Lilly raising awareness about early breast cancer screening.' The main takeaway from an event filled with unique personalities and perspectives: For women, who often are so busy taking care of others, it's crucial to prioritize health, whether that's doing regular breast-cancer self-checks and mammograms or just taking time out to reduce stress and find joy. 'Our conversation in Indianapolis wasn't just about basketball; it was about the routines, the mental grit, and the wellness practices that fuel greatness, and the importance of rest and recovery,' Barry said. 'Caitlin embodies that power, and we're proud to spotlight voices like hers that continue to inspire on and off the court. Thanks to Lilly for partnering with Glamour to use that spotlight and stage for impactful conversations—including early breast cancer detection.' Originally Appeared on Glamour
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Charley Hull explains in detail scary fainting situation at Amundi Evian
Charley Hull had a scary WD from the Amundi Evian Championship after collapsing twice on the fourth tee. Anna Jackson gives the latest updates, with Hull feeling better after treatment. Charley Hull is competing in this week's ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open, her first start since withdrawing from the Amundi Evian Championship two weeks ago. Hull was carted off 12 holes into her opening round of the LPGA's fourth of five majors after twice collapsing. Feeling '80%" better Wednesday at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, Scotland, Hull described in detail what transpired in France: 'I was feeling really rough on the Monday and I was being sick all day because I flew home after Ireland. And then Tuesday I woke up and I still wasn't feeling very well. I had a practice round and I was just so tired. All my bones was aching in my body, and I had a really high temperature,' she said. 'And the next day I played the pro-am and I soldiered through the pro-am, because I didn't want to let my pro-am team down. But I felt really rough, and all my bones was aching still. 'Then I woke up the next morning on Thursday and I woke up in the morning and I felt really dizzy, cold sweats, had no energy. 'I got through about 12 holes, and I was actually playing really solid golf. And then I teed off on the back nine. So it was on the third hole of the golf course, which was my 12th hole, I felt really dizzy and I was in the bunker hitting a fairway shot and I had to sit down for a minute because my eyesight went and my hearing went — and I don't know if anyone has ever fainted before, but your eyesight goes and then your hearing goes, and then it goes all muffled. 'So I sat down, got up, hit my bunker shot, actually nearly made birdie. Walked to the next tee, called the medics, and then before I hit my tee shot, my eyesight went again, my hearing went, and then my knees gave away and I, like, collapsed and fainted. And then I got back up, hit my tee shot. Felt like — sit down, I was thinking, I've only got six holes left. I've got some birdie holes. Like, just finish the day, get to 3 or 4 under and I'm sound. 'Walked off the tee box, 20 yards off, I don't even remember anything. My caddie said my eyes rolled to the back of my head and I was out for over a minute. And the security guard and the medic caught me just before I was about to hit my head on a concrete slab. So I was out for a minute. '... when I woke up from fainting I felt, like, I come out of a really nice deep sleep. Like, I felt really nice. I was like, oh, this feels good. I'm, like, that's not my bedroom. I see birds above me and about 15 people around me and I was like, where the f** am I? Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to swear. Sorry. But yeah, that's what I see when it happened.' Hull said her agent asked new LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler if Hull could finish her opening round later in the day but that, as Hull knew it would be, was denied. A major part of Hull's recovery has been rest, which means she hasn't been able to workout the last two weeks and can't do so for two more. 'I don't like sitting still,' she said. 'Drives me bonkers, not being able to go to the gym. I've been chilling and practicing. I've still been practicing pretty hard. I'm not one to just do something. So just twiddling my thumbs.' Hull will at least get back to competition Thursday, alongside world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Lottie Woad, who nearly won the Evian in her final start as an amateur and is making her professional debut this week. 'Probably won't see me strolling 30 yards ahead of everyone like I usually do,' Hull said. 'Probably be 30 yards behind everyone, but I'll get it done.'
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Nelly Korda Indifferent to Eventual Women's Masters, Has Other Priorities in Mind
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Women's golf recognizes the women's versions of three of the four men's majors as major championships. As for the fourth, the iconic Masters Tournament, there has been a fair share of talk about creating a women's version, although it has never materialized. However, World No. 1 Nelly Korda doesn't see the need for it. Korda spoke on the subject from Dundonald Links, where she will be playing her inaugural Scottish Women's Open starting Thursday. Naturally, Korda isn't opposed to playing specifically at Augusta National Golf Club, but rather has other priorities in mind. "I think we have our own, great, historic events that we as a tour capitalize on," Korda said, according to the transcripts of her pre-tournament press conference. "It's hard to compare. I mean, if you continuously compare yourself to other sports, other tours, you kind of never grow, and having something of your own is really important to the LPGA, and I think we all have that out here." According to the LPGA's official website, Korda had the opportunity to play at Augusta National in 2022, one of the few active players to do so. She was recently joined in that group by LPGA Hall of Famer Lydia Ko. US' Nelly Korda reacts during the final round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club, in Evian-Les-Bains, central eastern France, on July 13, 2025. US' Nelly Korda reacts during the final round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club, in Evian-Les-Bains, central eastern France, on July 13, 2025. ALEX MARTIN/AFP/Getty Images Nelly Korda is Not Wrong About LPGA Historic Events There's no doubt that Nelly Korda is right when she says that the LPGA's schedule includes events of enormous history and prestige. Among its major championships is the US Women's Open, founded way back in 1949. The Women's PGA Championship celebrated its 70th anniversary this season, while the Chevron Championship and the Women's Open have been held since 1972 and 1976, respectively. The youngest major is the Evian Championship, which is a respectable 34 years old, although it has only been considered a major championship since 2013. Aside from the major championships, there are also other long-standing tournaments that attract a number of the world's best players each year. One of them is precisely the Women's Scottish Open, which has been held since 1986. The current edition will feature four players from the top 10 in the world rankings and 14 from the top 25. Other similar tournaments include the KPMC Women's Open, which has been held since 1973 and even held the status of a major championship for several years. Although not sanctioned by the LPGA Tour, the Women's Australian Open, founded in 1974, is another notable example. Augusta National Golf Club, host of the Masters Tournament, already organizes a women's tournament, the Augusta National Women's Amateur. It has also accepted several women as members, including LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam. More Golf: Tiger Woods Looks Fit Following Son Charlie at US Junior Amateur
