Is Lydia Ko’s Paris Olympics Dreams Under Threat? Brutal World Ranking Slump Causes Concerns

Lydia Ko didn’t have the best of years in 2023. Out of the 20 events she played in the season, the golfer could only record a total of two top-10 finishes, the best of which came with a T3 at the BMW Ladies Championship. Although she managed to turn it around with a win at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, her recent finishes paint a different picture altogether. This, in turn, has caused many to wonder about her eligibility to play at the upcoming Olympics and made her fans question: will she be able to tee it up at the 2024 Paris Olympics set to take place on July 26?

The Kiwi has played in a total of ten tournaments in the 2024 season. Out of the same, she has garnered three top-10 finishes, including a victory at the first event at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. Unfortunately, all three of those came in her first four starts, following which Ko hasn’t made much of a mark in the circuit.

Even in the ongoing major championship, the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open, the 27-year-old failed to make the cut owing to her figures of 13-over par. This would only add to her concerns since Ko had dropped from the 7th position on the world rankings to the 14th spot after she missed her cut at the Mizuho Americas Open.

The former No. 1 athlete, however, need not worry too much. As per the rules set aside by the quadrennial event, the golfers are determined by world standings. The top 15 on the Rolex Rankings are automatically qualified for the Olympic Games, making the New Zealand pro, who is currently at No. 14, eligible for the same.

That’s not all. She wouldn’t need to worry even if she were to drop outside the top 15, since she is the only golfer who is currently inside the top 50. Momoka Kobori, the next Kiwi on the rankings, is placed at No. 269 on the Rolex Rankings and No. 53 on the Olympic Golf Rankings. If the country, meanwhile, does not have at least two players inside the top 15, then the next two eligible golfers of the OGR get selected to represent their nation. Lydia Ko, thus, has a very good chance, if not the best, to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics despite her missed cut at the ongoing major.

Lydia Ko misses the cut at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open

The 79th U.S. Women’s Open was nothing short of disastrous for the New Zealand pro, causing her to record her worst-ever finish at the major championship. Ko’s 13th start at the event resulted in her carding figures of 13 over par 153 with scores of 80-73 over the two days at the Lancaster Country Club.

The 20-time LPGA Tour Champ did so while dishing out a total of nine bogeys alongside 3 birdies, not to mention the triple-bogey 8 at the par-5, 7th hole on Thursday as well as the two double bogeys. While she is safe when it comes to the upcoming quadrennial event, further sub-par finishes will only keep worsening her rank on the world standings. Regardless of the placements, her fans would surely be anticipating the old Lydia Ko on the greens at the upcoming Olympic games!