Lydia Ko, Paris 2024 gold medalist, earned the youngest dame honour at the New Zealand’s 2025 New Year Honours for her services to golf.
A damehood is the female equivalent of knighthood and Ko earned it at 27.
Earlier, this month, she won the New Zealand Olympic Committee’s Lonsdale Cup for her achievements in 2024.
The Lonsdale Cup is the New Zealand Olympic Committee’s most prestigious honour and is awarded annually to the athlete or team that has made the most outstanding contribution to an Olympic or Commonwealth Sport. It is the second time Ko has been awarded the Cup.
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Ko was consistent and smart with her golf. On the final day of competition, she built a five-shot lead on the back nine at Le Golf National, and then had to hang on until the very end. Her lead down to one, Ko made a 7-foot birdie putt for a 1-under 71 and a two-shot victory.
Her gold medal win saw her gain the required points for LPGA Hall of Fame status, and she was inducted into the elite club after her medal ceremony.
The gold medal win continued Ko’s astonishing record of Olympic success. Ko made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016 where she won silver and hit a hole in one as golf made its return to the Olympic programme. At the next Games she was again in the medals, winning bronze in extremely hot conditions at Tokyo 2020.