She’s 27. She’s from New Zealand. She’s Lydia Ko. Not many have managed to win as much as the Kiwi has in the past decade or so. However, only she seems to be on the final step and in front of the door to the big house known as the ‘Hall of Fame’. Quite a big achievement, to be honest. But the LPGA Tour pro doesn’t seem to be too concerned about the same. For she herself once said, “If it happens, it happens.”

That doesn’t mean Ko doesn’t find the whole thing “cool.” Being just one win away from the honor ahead of the Olympics sure does sound awesome. Regardless, having realistic expectations might be what makes her different from the other athletes. And she didn’t shy away from mentioning the same at an interview after the second round at the CPKC Women’s Open.

A practical Lydia Ko at the cusp of glory

“I’m pretty sure it’s not going to change my life that much whether I am or I’m not,” said the New Zealand golfer at the event’s presser, while alluding to the Hall of Fame, “The same people that love me, …they’re still going to love me no matter what.” She seems pretty confident about her family and friends, be it her husband Chung Jun, or her parents (Hyeon Bong-Sook and Ko Gil-Hong).

And when it comes to stressing about the same, she has driven it further away than 251.71 yards (read 2023 average driving distance). Why? Well, “Being one point away is so much easier than being two,” or so says the LPGA Tour Pro. “I feel like if I keep moving in the right direction and doing the right things, that one point, whether it’s — however, there are so many different ways to get it done, will happen.” Interestingly, she wouldn’t have been able to say this if not for the win she carded at the 2024 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

“So I’m trying to think of it as low-key as much as I can,” confessed the 2-time major champ while thanking her lucky stars. It’s not just because of the immense honor that the title of ‘Hall of Famer’ brings but also because of the kind of legends like Amy Alcott with whom she will be able to stand side by side; “Every time I see Nancy Lopez or Beth Daniel, Meg Mallon, all the legends, they’ve been really supportive so I would love to be part of that club one day.”

But a practical Lydia Ko is better than a non-practical one. And she herself knows it. Regardless, she would be hoping to play the best golf she can, despite not having the ideal finishes one can ask for after her lone win this season.

Ko and her performance post-HGV

The Kiwi has only managed to card a total of 3 top-10 finishes from 13 starts in 2024, with two of them coming after her lone victory at the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. “In the past couple months I haven’t played the best golf,” admitted the athlete before putting on the realistic hat again, “It’s not like I’m playing with a lot of expectation trying to win I guess because I haven’t been in contention as much.”

But that shouldn’t stop her from being hopeful. And, interestingly enough, it hasn’t. “Obviously, it’s a really good time for it to happen,” said the golfer while alluding to her improvement, “at a tournament that means a lot to me with the Olympics and British Open and all that coming up.” Her admirers would surely be hoping for her to take that final step into ‘Hall of Fame’ and get that piece of glory. If that doesn’t happen… well, an Olympic medal would do for her fans.