'I’m Definitely Past The Halfway Point' - Why Golf's Youngest-Ever World No.1 Believes She Is On The Back-Nine Of Her Time In Pro Golf At Just 26
Lydia Ko said she would retire at 30 as a teenager - now, she isn't putting a definitive date on her exit from the sport


It seems remarkable that an elite sport star is even considering retiring at the age of 26 - save for all those gymnasts out there - especially with a couple of Major championships in the trophy cabinet and 27 wins on either the LPGA or Ladies European Tour. Yet, Lydia Ko is a pretty remarkable person.
Not long after turning pro as a 16-year-old in 2013, Ko became the youngest golfer - male or female - ever to become World No.1, aged 17 years, nine months, and nine days. As a result, she is destined to be known as one of the best ever to do it whenever she does choose to put her clubs in the garage for good.
At the time of her meteoric rise to the summit of women's golf, Ko mentioned she had designs on retiring at 30. However, with her 27th birthday less than two months away, she could be reconsidering. Mind you, she may also opt to call time even earlier.
Speaking to Golf.com's 'SubPar' podcast from her home this week, Ko was discussing the subject of retirement and whether her mind had changed at all from that point nine years ago.
Asked by 'SubPar' co-host Drew Stoltz if she had ambitions to play for 20 more years, Ko replied: “To be honest, no. I think when I was younger, I said I want to retire when I’m 30, and now that I’m inching closer to 30, I’m like, four years is still a long time from now.
"I’m honestly taking it by the day and taking it by the week. When that happens, you’re almost, like, in the middle of the year and then you’re done with the majors and all that. So I don’t really have a certain, I think, date when I want to retire."
Off the back of her first win of 2024 at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and a near miss at the recent Drive On Championship, the New Zealander is opting to take this week off while her rivals battle it out at the Honda LPGA Thailand.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
As for the remainder of the year, Ko - who also won the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational with Jason Day just before Christmas - is looking forward to having a crack at the three Majors she has come so close to lifting but is yet to manage.
Beyond that, the South Korean-born player is simply going to take it one tournament at a time.
Continuing to chat about retirement, Ko said: “For every single player, I think that until that moment comes, you really don’t know. Like, I could say 30, or, like, 28, but who knows, I could play until like 35.
"That’s the beauty of golf, is that as long as we’re healthy and fit, we can really do this for a long time and age is maybe not as relevant as in sports like swimming or other sports.
"I don’t really know when [I'll retire], but I do feel like I’m definitely past the halfway point in my career.”
Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Joaquin Niemann. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and recently reached his Handicap goal of 18 for the first time. He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day.
-
9 Big Names To Miss The Players Championship Cut
A number of Ryder Cup stars, Major winners and former World No.1s are heading home early at TPC Sawgrass
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Allowing LIV Golfers, Starting A Champions Dinner And Adding A PGA Tour University Route... 7 Ways To Elevate The Players Championship And Bring It Even Closer To The Majors
With all the talk of the Players Championship being a possible fifth Major, we look at seven changes that could elevate the event to the highest level of men's pro golf
By Paul Higham Published
-
Charley Hull And Georgia Hall Knocked Out Of Sunningdale Foursomes
The LPGA Tour stars fell short against Tom Shadbolt and Ben Evans in the last 16 of the prestigious contest
By Mike Hall Published
-
Charley Hull And Georgia Hall Progress As Gareth Bale Knocked Out Of Sunningdale Foursomes
The Solheim Cup stars made it through on Tuesday as five-time Champions League winner Gareth Bale lost on the final hole
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Charley Hull and Gareth Bale Among Star Names At Sunningdale Foursomes
Some big names are set to appear in the historic foursomes event for 2025, which has seen the likes of Luke Donald and Sam Torrance win previously
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Japanese Star Ties Course Record To Secure Blue Bay LPGA Title
Rio Takeda carded a closing eight-under 64 at the difficult Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course on Hainan Island, China to clinch her second LPGA Tour title
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Australian WPGA Championship Cancelled Ahead Of Gold Coast Cyclone
The Australian WPGA Championship has been cancelled due to the threat posed by Cyclone Alfred
By Mike Hall Published
-
Blue Bay LPGA Prize Money Payout 2025
The LPGA Tour heads to China, where Bailey Tardy defends her title as players compete for the largest purse of the season so far
By Mike Hall Published
-
Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Format, Which Teams Are Playing And How To Watch
The 13th Darius Rucker Intercollegiate takes place in South Carolina - here are some of the key details about the prestigious college golf tournament
By Mike Hall Published
-
Who Are The Best Golfers Under The Age Of 25?
It's no secret that the talent pool of golf is getting younger and younger. So, in this piece, we take you through the best players under the age of 25
By Matt Cradock Published