Dame Lydia Ko signals retirement time frame, finishes off pace at LPGA Tour’s Founders Cup

Monday, 23 March 2026

Dame Lydia Ko appears to be sticking to her word - that she will retire at the age of 30.

In an interview with Golf Week ahead of the Founders Cup, the 28-year-old Kiwi said her career is unlikely to extend beyond the 2027 LPGA season.

Ko, who long ago signalled she would call it a day when she was 30, will reach the said age on April 24, 2027.

The LPGA Tour Hall of Famer would likely confirm her retirement date two months in advance, rather than before her final season.

“I personally don’t want a parade of retirement,” she told Golf Week.

“I’ve been able to excel at the highest level in my industry, which not everybody gets to do, and I did it for quite a long time and for different phases. I would hate to be at a point where I’m like, I don’t even want to see my golf clubs any more.”

Ko finished off the pace at the LPGA Founders Cup in Menlo Park, California, on Monday (NZT) after just scraping past the cut by one shot.

She closed with a final round of even-par 72 to finish one-over for the tournament in a tie for 56th. Ko was 17 shots adrift of Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea who beat world No 2 Nelly Korda by one stroke.

After winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics and completing the set, Ko made it clear she would not return for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Now in her 13th season, world No 6 Ko has notched 23 career wins, including three majors.

One goal she’s still eyeing after securing HOF status is a career grand slam, which she would achieve by winning either the US Open and/or Women’s PGA.

Both tournaments are scheduled for June, with the US Open first up from June 4-7 at Riviera Country Club in California.

However, Ko also made it clear she would be at peace with her career if she didn’t do so, and last month admitted golf was taking a toll on her.

“To be honest, now that I’ve been on tour for so long, my body, I know, is not the same as 10 years ago. So my recovery is not as fast as I think it should be. Sometimes I think the fatigue catches up to me more than where I am mentally. So, I’m just trying to have a good balance of that.”

In the Founders Cup, Kim held off Korda at Sharon Heights to complete a wire-to-wire victory.

Her opening five-stroke advantage gone after 10 holes, Kim regained the lead on the next hole and ended up with a one-shot margin after a closing bogey.

“I enjoyed every single day, but this course was pretty tough,” Kim said through a translator.

Kim shot a one-over 73 for a 16-under 272 total. The 30-year-old South Korean player also won the 2015 event in Phoenix. She has eight LPGA Tour titles to go along with 14 KLPGA Tour victories.

Korda closed with a 69. The American won the season opener in Florida, then skipped the Asia swing.

– with AP