The 2025 LPGA Tour officially tee-ed off this past weekend at the Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida. Last year’s edition saw Lydia Ko of New Zealand hoist the trophy. Though Ko’s title defense was unsuccessful this past weekend, she again proved that it’s not how you start, but how you finish.
Ko’s Comeback
At the beginning of the tournament this past weekend, Ko got off to a slow start, placing 28th after the first round concluded on Thursday. The next two days, she fought her way back into contention, landing in third after the third round of play. Focusing on controlling the controllables, Ko said after the third round, “I’m just going to focus on my golf, which is what I’ve been doing the past two days, and see where that lands me.”
Despite not winning the tournament, Ko’s comeback from 28th place to 6th is a testament to her continuous dedication and perseverance. These are things that are all too familiar in her career.
How a 2023 Slump Propelled Ko
Back in 2023, Ko went winless and placed in the top ten just twice in 20 LPGA starts. As it turns out, she had her sights set on something else at the time, which was the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Just last year at the HGV tournament in which Ko won, she also picked up a 26th LPGA Hall of Fame point, meaning she was now just one away from automatic qualification into the tour’s most prestigious honor. After the win last year, Ko admitted that part of her 2023 slump was due to her focusing too much on the Hall of Fame, she revealed via the LPGA.
“I think last year I was chasing the Hall of Fame. I felt like, with the way I was playing in 2022, I could back it up with another great year. Look where it put me,” she said.
A few months later at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Ko started for the third time for Team New Zealand. She went on to win gold and completed a medal trifecta, adding to her silver and bronze medals from 2016 and 2021. For the cherry on top, the Olympic win officially qualified her for the Hall of Fame, a dream she has long been chasing.
“Even if I don’t play well for a span of a few weeks, I don’t need to get too down on myself because I know what direction I’m going.”
Ko Continues to Prioritize Mental Wellness
This past November at the CME Group Tour Championships in Naples, Florida, Ko shared in the pre-tournament press-conference that she has struggled mentally in her golf career at times.
“I started working with my current mental coach a few years ago, and she has been an unbelievable help…as much as we try and differentiate golf and the things outside the golf course, they all kind of blend together. We’re one human being with one brain. Everything kind of melds,” she said. Ko credits her mental coach with helping her keep her mind clear both on and off the course, which in turn, can lead to improvements in her game.
“Unfortunately how I perform on the golf course affects me off the course and vice versa. My mental coach, being able to have somebody I fully trust and I can talk to about things has been great. She cleared and helped me clear those demons in my head,” Ko added.
During all the madness of 2024, Ko also adopted a puppy named Kai, who has been seen with her at tournaments ever since. Kai was present at the tournament with Ko this past weekend where he received his own credentials. Ko says that having Kai at tournaments to keep her company has helped keep her grounded and appreciate other things in life.
“But I saw him and I was like, you know what? There is so much more to life than what I just shot and there is always tomorrow,” Ko said about her adopted puppy in November 2024, via Golf.
What’s Next for Ko
Prior to the tournament starting this weekend, Ko told Women & Golf, “even if I don’t play well for a span of a few weeks, I don’t need to get too down on myself because I know what direction I’m going.” In her next tournament, Ko looks to bounce back by grabbing her first win of 2025 and continuing to show everyone to never count her out.
By not getting ahead of herself and making time for the mental side of her game, she found continued success both on and off the course. We at VIS encourage you to follow Ko’s lead in taking the proper steps to ensure a healthy headspace because when we aren’t at our best mentally, it’s harder to be at our best physically.
