Lydia Ko’s childhood coach praises her relentless drive after Women’s Open win

Lydia Ko with the AIG Women's Open trophy following her victory at St Andrews Old Course. Photo / Paul Devlin, Getty Images

Lydia Ko’s childhood coach has praised the golfer for never being willing to settle.

Yesterday the 27-year-old won the Women’s Open at St Andrews – her third major and first since 2016 – finishing off a golden month for Ko who finished first in the Olympics and subsequently earned a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Guy Wilson oversaw Ko’s rapid rise to the top of the women’s game, coaching her for 11 years after meeting Ko as a 5-year-old at Pupuke Golf Course on Auckland’s North Shore in 2002. Reflecting on her win at the home of golf, Wilson told the Herald it was an amazing effort in at times “atrocious conditions”.

“She’s fought back from falling off the planet a couple of years ago and now, well, everything is falling in line for her.

“There are [golfers] that are happy just doing what they’re doing and maintaining their level but like Tiger [Woods], Lydia, always wanted to be better. She always saw things that could be improved and if that meant changing the swing or changing the caddy or coach, it was one of the things that she’s done. When it doesn’t go quite right, everyone has their own opinion on it but you can see that what she’s been doing over the past little bit has put her into some really good strides.”

Guy Wilson and Lydia Ko were a familiar sight on golf courses for over 10 years. Photo / Photosport

On an unrelated but funny side note, yesterday was Wilson’s birthday and Ko also won the Canadian Open in 2012 on the same date: “It’s pretty cool to wake up having that sort of present from her.”

Ko has only two majors left to chase, the US Open and PGA Championship after winning the Evian Championship in 2015 and Chevron Championship in 2016.

Typical links golf course weather – strong wind and some rain – made for difficult conditions during Monday’s final round and there was a four-way tie for the lead at one point before Ko surged home with a three-under-par 69 to finish two shots clear of the pack.

Wilson, the Institute of Golf director, said the legacy Ko leaves behind once she hangs up the clubs – she has previously said she hopes to retire before 30 – is still hard to measure.

“That’s a hard, hard, hard question. It’s funny to use the word legacy when she’s only 27 but she’s been in the spotlight for so long and at some point she’ll stop to do some family stuff or something else but I think she’s put herself and New Zealand on the map.

“She has done everything that you can basically achieve in the game of golf. Amazing from a Kiwi down in the corner of the world.

“We’re lucky at the institute to get these people committed to the long journey of becoming an elite golfer and we get them at 5, 6, 7 years of age, even younger. [New Zealand] has a lot of talented young kids that are keen on following the footsteps of Lydia and have some confidence that can be done – that a Kiwi can get to the top of the world.”

Luke Kirkness is the Sports Planning Editor for the NZ Herald. He’s an award-winning journalist who also covered consumer affairs for the Herald and served as an assistant news director.