Lydia Ko been honoured as a Dame in New Zealand’s New Year’s honors list for her contributions to golf.
A damehood, the female equivalent of a knighthood, has elevated her to the title of Dame Lydia Ko, one of the nation’s highest civil distinctions, awarded on Tuesday. At 27, Ko is the youngest New Zealander to receive this prestigious honor.
Born in Korea, Ko achieved significant milestones in her illustrious career. She won the women’s tournament at the Paris Olympics this year and, in 2024, became the youngest and 35th inductee into the LPGA Hall of Fame. Her Olympic accolades also include a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and a silver medal at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
“Those opportunities don’t come to everyone and for me to have this amazing opportunity, it makes me very proud,” said Ko.
“I think it’s a moment that’s special for all of us, obviously it’s special for the person but it’s a recognition for everyone involved because I wouldn’t be here today without them.”
The honours list citation praised Ko as New Zealand’s most successful golfer, boasting 30 professional wins, including three major championships. Her record-breaking career began in 2012 when, at just 14, she became the youngest player—male or female—to win a professional tournament, claiming victory at the Women’s New South Wales Open in Australia.
At 15, Ko set another record as the youngest player to win an LPGA Tour event. By February 2015, she became the youngest player, male or female, to achieve the world No. 1 ranking at 17 years, 9 months, and 9 days old.
One receiving the honour, Ko saud: “I thought about do I deserve it? Is this the right time? But I always feel like to have these kind of opportunities and for someone else to bring it up, it’s not my idea and I’m obviously very grateful that other people are giving me this opportunity … not everybody gets that.”
