Lydia Ko has her sights set on more than just LPGA Hall of Fame | Golf Central | Golf Channel

golf Central on YouTube is brought to you by the new Chrome tour golf ball from Callaway Lydia we got to see you out on the golf course today getting all your preparations underway what is it like being back at sahali for another KPMG women's PGA Championship uh one I feel old that now I'm returning to these golf courses that I've played before um but yeah you know definitely great to come back to a golf course where I know I played well at um know we have we had such beautiful weather today so it was nice to kind of take the whole golf course in um but yeah you know it's it's been a lot of fun I don't remember all of the holes to be honest I remember you know a few here and there but in ways I think it's good to sometimes not remember it uh because you know you're trying to be more focused and more on it and see you know how you need to play the hole right now um I feel like my game has changed I I'm hitting a little longer than I did in 2016 so my lines off the tea is also a bit different um but know great to be here in uh in Seattle at sahali well I mean the last time you were here you were a teenager now you're this old married woman you know so much has happened since then uh how have you really seen your game you know grow and develop since you were here in 2016 yeah I feel like you know some things may have been better when I was a teenager uh but I do feel like the experience and those kind of things you can't really um like nobody can take that away from you uh you know whether it's like technique and all you can always work to you know be better and keep improving but experience and you being in certain situations that comes once and you know that's in your memory bank um you know sometimes my body feels it you know when I when I'm playing consecutive rounds so you know I am realizing that I am not an 18-year-old playing out on tour anymore um but at heart I feel like I'm still 18 and you know just enjoying my time out here and as much as I think things have changed and you know Generations have changed there are things that are quite similar from then as well so I can kind of drill back on that any you've had a little bit of time off since the US Women's Open what have you been working on to get ready for this week yeah um as much as I would have loved to have played uh on the weekend at the US Women's Open there was a lot of things I could take away from that um especially in this swing what are the you know couple key points that I really need to focus on that will kind of create the type of shot shape that I want and um it was just great that my coaches were there and we were all on the same page and knew what direction uh to go to whereas I feel like in the past there have been position where know I'm making cuts and like it's good but you're not really sure exactly what you need to work on to be better and but you know I had a lot of clarity after that week week um so did worked on that um for the past couple weeks and enjoy some time off and you know normally from middle of June to middle of late August is our kind of Big Stretch of events especially with the Olympics this year so trying to um keep my energy levels up and you know keep progressing and I feel like I'm in a better position now than at the US Women's Open um which is definitely a good mindset and place to be heading into this week you mentioned the memory bank take us back to 2016 in the playoff here with Brook Henderson of course not the ultimate result that you would have wished for but such a great week for you overall describe what that experience was like yeah I think that I I hadn't really been in contention uh at Majors that often I'd I'd actually won the last two majors that I had played coming into the week um but it wasn't like oh I know what this feeling is like um I missed a short one on the 71st hole birdie um that you know ended up you know making me go into a playoff but I think at that time I was upset you know if uh if I said I didn't cry I would be lying I was upset cuz I felt like you know a three-footer that should have should be easy but you know there were a lot of things down the line and when I look at some of Brooks's highlights it was unbelievable golf she played and I'm pretty sure Arya Brooke and I all had bogey free rounds on that last day so going into that that day if somebody said hey you're going to shoot this number and make no bogeys I would have said okay Count Me In no matter what position I would have finished in so it's I think at the time it's sometimes hard to take in that situation and what you have to face with but you know looking back at it now um you know that was one of my best finishes here at this event and it's cool to come back here and hopefully um I can revenge on some on on some of those feelings um but know that shot that broke kit to to like a foot or like two feet on that last hole in the first playoff hole was impressive and I I don't think does matter if you've played on tour for 20 years or for one year like being in that kind of position and her hitting a shot like that that was that just showed what a deservant winner she was your career you've had these just amazing comebacks and you're just so resilient like you you start off as a teenager you know winning everything and then you're kind of takes a little bit of a lull and then you come back and like 2022 you had this amazing year Player of the Year you know multiple time winner and then 2023 didn't have the season you really wanted but then towards the end of it you know Grant thoron Invitational you won how are you able to do that how are you able to come back with such a great attitude and make it happen make be able to uh come back and win and be a world number one player of the year again honestly um you know I had this conversation with my sister last year where I was really struggling I had missed another cut in Portland and I said I am really unsure if I'm ever going to be able to win again um like I'm sure that was the feeling I got when I won in Hawaii for the first time in three years but you know golf is a crazy game you know you shoot 65 and the next day you shoot 75 and you're like not much was different between the two rounds um and it's very easy for you to fall down the trend of not knowing if you're ever going to be able to compete at a very high level um I've been very fortunate to surround myself with such a great team and supportive family that has helped me throughout the journey and I feel like especially my family we have all grown so much during this time whereas maybe when I first came on to her it may have felt easy and looked easy even though it never never was easy um I think like having those uh ups and downs made us all realize that you know what it's never been easy um but sometimes we take these good moments for granted and um now I'm very grateful for the year I had in 22 which obviously set up this opportunity for being in the hall of fame um which that too I I didn't think I was Hall of Fame worthy and you know now I have this opportunity and last year was tough but to be able to win you know at my home Club at Lake n at to start the year I think being one point away is a lot easier than being two points and and actually Amy Alcott um she G she called me um a couple weeks ago and said she was in that position of being in the Hall of Fame and at that time the requirement she hadn't met it um but now but they changed the rules and now she was in and she said she understands the feeling of like being close but like you aren't in and um it was just great to talk to somebody like her and some of the other Legends like n and Meg and bath that have come and like given me so much support so I'm honestly like enjoying this journey and I want to play at the highest level I can while I am playing and know if it's meant to happen it's uh it's going to happen um but to me my goal is not to just be in the Hall of Fame but to be able to win and win as many times as I can while I am still playing well you have given us so many amazing moments and we will continue to watch those incredible moments for as long long as you want to have them we'll always be such uh great big fans of yours and best of luck as you try to conquer these hallways Lydia we really appreciate s hallway s hallway so hallway okay well if you want to watch Lydia Co take on sah hallway she's going to be teeing off at 4:39 p.m. eastern time tomorrow [Music]