Golf: Ko's blistering pace puts her on course for early spot in Hall of Fame

Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko is well on her way to a place in Golf's Hall of Fame.

Well, sort of. At the rate she's going she'll nail the achievements list fairly soon, maybe even by the end of next year.

Women need 15 wins or two majors to be considered for membership and with 10 LPGA titles and her Evian major victory this season, Ko is already staring down a place in the hallowed academy.

There are a couple of impediments, though, and nothing to do with needing your driver's licence or being able to hit a one-iron out of a divot over water.

Hall of Famers have to be 40 or retired from the game for five years to have their names put into the ballot.

Ko turned 18 only this year but some of her other plans might tick off an inevitable nomination.

In some of her precious downtime, Ko has been studying psychology by correspondence at Seoul's Korea University and plans to put that to use when she decides to end her days as a touring professional.

"There are so many varieties of psychology - there's the biology part, there's treatment.

"There's so many things I didn't realise," she said, revealing crime-based television shows piqued her interest.

"I like to watch Criminal Minds and that kind of stuff.

"Maybe it'll help me figure out what they're thinking," said Ko.

Her plan is to retire at 30 with no intention of heading for the beach to blob out or to spend the rest of her days travelling the globe.

"There's always a second career that comes along with it and I'm trying to build up towards it and, because I'm playing a sport, psychology links well with it," she says.

If 30 sounds a premature end to her already prolific career, Ko will have been on tour for half her life by then if she is still fit and enjoying the life.

If Ko quits at 30 she, like a retired Lorena Ochoa, could be nominated five years later instead of hanging around until she reaches 40 to make it on to the waiting list.

Ko will surely rank up with the best in the history of women golfers if she maintains her form through until she is 30.