"It feels good to actually be home and seeing my friends and I can get out of the tour life for a while," she said.
Her break will be short-lived, however, as she is scheduled to play a charity golf tournament in Takapuna this weekend and will only be in Auckland for a week.
"I was really hoping to not play any golf for a while, but I think it's going to be fun and I really enjoyed doing a charity event last year," she said about the golf event which she is playing for free.
"I think it's going to be good, playing all the juniors and then later with the adults."
Lydia Ko gets emotional as she is greeted by family and friends - and flowers - at Auckland Airport this morning. Photo / Greg Bowker
Ko would not say if she would be back to play the New Zealand Open next year.
"I'm really not sure yet," she said. "It's actually clashing with one of the LPGA events, so I'm not really sure, we haven't discussed the schedule yet."
Ko said she'd had a "phenomenal" year, but admitted the touring life could be "really tough".
"I mean, I've had a fantastic rookie year and I wouldn't have imagined myself to be in this situation," she said.
"It's just been a phenomenal year and I'm just going to rest up and hopefully have a good year next year."
Ko celebrates her huge pay-day.
Despite her attempts to stay low-key, the golf champ caused a bit of a stir at the airport with people stopping to take photographs and film the cheers from her family.
She left the airport side-by-side with her friend and followed by her grinning family and supporters.
