Lydia Ko is proudly representing New Zealand in the 2024 Paris Olympics. But this very fact has confused people. Isn’t she Korean? Well, here’s all you need to know about the golfer’s nationality and heritage.

The answer lies in her journey, which spans continents and challenges traditional notions of nationality and allegiance. Lydia Ko was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1997, but moved to New Zealand with her family when she was four. Ko got her permanent citizenship in NZ in 2009, when she was 12.

She made her country proud. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, she won the silver medal. Then, in Tokyo, she clinched the bronze medal. So, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, she will aim for the gold.

Ko’s parents, Hyeon Bong-sook and Ko Gil-hong, are both Korean, but they chose to raise their daughter in New Zealand. The 27-year-old began playing golf at age 5, and by the age of 7, she was competing in the New Zealand national amateur championships. Meanwhile, Ko’s birthplace produced a wealth of talented women golfers, but she faced a different reality in New Zealand. With limited golfing resources and a smaller player base, she had to overcome significant obstacles to hone her skills. 

When speaking with the Olympic media in 2023, she recalled, “When I was growing up, [golf] wasn’t a big thing, especially in New Zealand, and trying to go to golf courses was difficult, and trying to get the right practice facilities.”

The 2-times major winner added, “I remember my parents got a pair of sneakers, and then they would take it to like a shoe alteration place and get spikes put on it rather than like buy junior golf shoes as they weren’t readily available.” 

Undeterred, Ko persevered and flourished, paving her own path to success. Now, at 27, she’s representing New Zealand for the third time in the coveted Olympic Games. Her prodigious talent and dedication were evident from a remarkably young age, setting the stage for a record-breaking career.

Lydia Ko: Achievements that pushed her to the top!

In 2012, the Kiwi golfer turned heads by winning the Canadian Open and becoming the youngest LPGA Tour title winner at just 15 years and four months old. But that was only the beginning. She made history again in 2013 as the only amateur to win two LPGA Tour events. Moreover, her victory at the 2015 Evian Championship cemented her status as the youngest major champion.

Then at just 17 years, 9 months, and 9 days old, she shattered records by becoming the youngest female golfer to reach number one in the Women’s World Golf Rankings. With 20 LPGA Tour wins under her belt, her remarkable journey shows no signs of slowing down. She is now hoping to enter the LPGA Hall Of Fame, and a gold at Le Golf National would do that for her.

UPDATE: At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Lydia Ko got the job done. She won a gold medal. Her tough victory came after our days and 72 holes at Le Golf National. Ko finished 10 under par. She was two strokes ahead of Esther Henseleit- the silver medalist.

“I had the most unbelievable experience in my three times playing the Olympics. To be able to represent New Zealand, wear the fern on my hat and my clothes, it’s just been such a special week – and three weeks of my life. To be holding gold right now, it’s crazy. I can’t believe it,” she said after her win.

With an Olympic gold, Ko fulfilled the necessary 27 points needed to be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame. She will be the first Kiwi to be inducted and the youngest person to receive this honor.