What The Heck Happened To Lydia Ko?

once hailed as the future of golf the New Zealand Prodigy who skyrocketed to the world number one spot at an unprecedented young age has seen her journey take an unexpected turn fans and experts alike once predicted a career full of major victories and record-breaking performances for this young star however the elevation came to an abrupt halt leaving the golf world perplexed with the question what the heck happened to Lydia Co where is the Undisputed golf prodigy who once dominated the greens to understand the magnitude of Lydia CO's fall we have to start with the extraordinary Heights of her meteoric rise born in Soul South Korea Co and her family moved to New Zealand when she was just 4 years old it was then that she found her love for golf which would become much more than just a hobby as she grew Co continued to amaze everyone with her dedication and skill by the age of seven she was already competing in New Zealand national amateur championships and her name began appearing in sports headlines her smooth and athletic swing was a delight to watch and many experts predicted a career full of greatness for the young New Zealander and they weren't wrong in 2012 at just 14 years old Lydia Co carved her name into the history books she shattered the record set by Japanese Prodigy Rio Ishikawa becoming the youngest person ever to win a professional golf tour event but this was only the beginning of her incredible rise just a few months later Co made headlines again at the age of 15 years and 4 months she triumphed at the CN Canadian women's open not only setting a new standard as the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour but also joining an elite group she became only the fifth amateur and the first in over four decades to win an LPGA Tour event as her reputation grew Co made the Bold decision to turn professional at the tender age of 16 recognizing her extraordinary Talent the LPGA Tour bent its own rules waving the typical Agee requirement of 18 to welcome her into its ranks this move demonstrated the confidence the golf world had in CO's exceptional talent and she did not disappoint in 2014 Co burst onto the professional scene winning three LPGA Tour tournaments including the CME Group TOUR Championship her remarkable performances earned her the title of LPGA Rookie of the Year a well-deserved honor for a player who was just beginning to Scrat match the surface of her potential but it was in 2015 that Lydia Co truly became a superstar the media reported her rise to the top of golf as one of the greatest Feats in sports history at 17 Co not only established herself as the number one player in women's golf but she also became the youngest player to reach that rank in professional golf for both men and women breaking the record set by Tiger Woods in 1997 at the age of 21 then in a display of absolute dominance she won five tournaments That season including the Evan Championship where she set the record for the lowest final round in a women's major with an impressive 63 her ability to stay calm under pressure and her impeccable technique made her a force to be reckoned with in women's golf Co seemed Unstoppable accumulating achievements at a dizzying pace she became the youngest player to win 10 events on a major tour and was named the LPGA player of the year in 2015 at just 18 years old Lydia Co seemed Unstoppable she had the world at her fingertips and all signs pointed to a career destined for greatness she was The Prodigy set to redefine the sport but then as the 2017 season unfolded it was as if a Thunderclap silenced the Applause suddenly her string of Victories dried up her dominance in the world rankings crumbled and the once clear path to Greatness became shrouded in uncertainty fans and analysts alike watched in stunned disbelief wondering what had caused such an unexpected turn of events for the young New Zealander so what lies behind this dramatic Fall From Grace will peel back the layers to reveal a complex web of shocking issues but before we're getting into the hidden truth I want to extend a huge thank you to odds Jam for sponsoring today's video looking to boost your sports betting game meet odds Jam the Ultimate Ally for data driven wagering with 260 plus sportsbooks it's your go-to platform here's how it works odds jams Arbitrage tool spots differences in betting lines letting you lock in risk-free profits plus optimize Bets with a positive EV calculator and track profits with a convenient bet tracker try it risk-free with a 7-Day trial use code ESN for 35% off your first month bet smart bet responsibly with odds Jam the first Spotlight falls directly on her parents and their significant influence over her as they were reportedly exercising excessive control over her career it said that they maintained a strict regimen with overwhelming expectations and little room for personal growth and unfortunately this isn't just heray from us as mere Spectators in 2013 CO's team hired the both loved and hated coach David lead better who also publicly complained about the overwhelming pressure her parents exerted on this poor girl listen to this according to lead better Lydia's parents exercised total control over every aspect of her life and career we're talking about dictating every detail from her daily routine to her clothing to even her practice Focus can you imagine how stifling that must be for a young athlete just think for a moment about not being able to make a single decision for yourself your parents decide when you go to bed what you eat how you dress and even what you practice on the golf course it's like living in a bubble of of impossible expectations and strict rules and the worst part is that according to lead better Lydia's parents expected her to win every tournament she entered can you believe that enormous pressure on the shoulders of a young girl it's almost as if they turned her into a winning machine instead of allowing her to enjoy the game for its own sake unfortunately lead better suggests that this excessive parental influence has been detrimental to Lydia's development both as a golfer and as a person she has struggled to find her own identity and voice amid so many expectations and so much control but along the way what we have visibly seen is her light dimming more and more but David you're not entirely off the hook in this situation couldn't you also be somewhat responsible for this downfall even just a little many fans have theorized that Co became the latest victim of lead better lead poisoning referring to his track record of ruining the smooth athletic swings of promising players I must say the phrase itself is quite clever lead better had previously worked with Michelle we the golf star who tasted the sweetness of the top before suffering a fall into the abyss straight into the grave sound familiar could it be that lead better tried to change CO's natural swing too much wreaking havoc on her game this coach is known for his technical approach and his desire to mold players swings into his own image of the a swing According to some critics this approach has led to to the destruction of the natural swings of talented golfers like Michelle we who still hasn't managed to regain her swing after years of working with lead better and then with Butch Harmon in CO's case her smooth and fluid swing was like poetry in motion but under lead's guidance that athletic swing which captivated so many fans supposedly became compromised in the name of technique and Perfection while it's hard to know for sure the real impact lead better had on CO's swing it's undeniable that her game hasn't been the same since she started working with him in 2013 and even though Co eventually parted ways with lead better after the 2016 season the damage was already done but beyond external influences we also have to consider the mental Factor the pressure to maintain such a high level of Excellence from such a young age can be overwhelming for any athlete Co has openly admitted to putting too much pressure on herself striving for Perfection and keeping high expectations at a time when she should be enjoying Golf and letting her natural Talent flow Co found herself trapped in a cycle of self-criticism and disappointment even the best players experience ups and downs but for a young woman who has been labeled as a golf phenomenon it can be hard to accept anything less than excellence and it's precisely that self-imposed pressure that seems to have weighed most heavily on CO's mind in a post-round interview after a disappointing round she spoke candidly about her ups and downs and her struggle to maintain momentum after a year of unprecedented success you know you do want to continue to be on a good momentum and play well when you are playing well because I've gone through my own ups and downs and when things aren't going well it's not very easy to come back out of that Co admitted it's sad to hear her say that those words show how she's feeling vulnerable and honest about her golf Journey but they also reveal she's not happy with her game disappointed she couldn't keep up the level of Excellence she once had so easily and that disappointment makes people wonder if Lydia Co will ever reach her full potential her fall from the top has been as big as her early success even when she wins like at the CME Group TOUR Championship in 2022 Co doesn't seem content after winning Player of the Year in the ve trophy you'd expect her to be thrilled but Co said the season had been frustrating and disappointing for her not giving her the results she wanted these words paint a sad picture of an athlete who despite her successes isn't happy with herself or her game because at the end of the day real success in sports isn't just about trophies and Records it's also about personal satisfaction and enjoying the journey if Lydia Co can find that perspective if she can make peace with her own expectations and accept herself as The Talented but imperfect player she is then maybe she can turn a new page in her story one that isn't defined by records or titles but by the pure joy of playing the game she loves sure she's not the only athlete with a career full of ups and downs but questions about her future still linger will she be able to reach the same Heights she once did so effortlessly or will she be held back by the expectations and pressures that come with being a sports phenomenon well only time will tell