Newly minted Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko wins 2024 AIG Women's Open at St. Andrews

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Lydia Ko approached her husband, Jun Chung, by the practice putting green, gently placing her hand on his cheek. The couple, still radiating the glow of newlyweds, appeared remarkably calm despite the high stakes of the major championship.

After some practice putts, Ko chatted with the falconer stationed at the Old Course, discussing the majestic bird’s role in keeping seagulls away. Meanwhile, on the nearby 18th green, 2023 AIG Women’s British Open champion Lilia Vu was attempting to save par for a chance at a playoff, trailing at 7 under.

When Vu’s efforts fell short, Ko, overwhelmed with emotion, broke down in tears near the practice green. Just two weeks after securing the Olympic gold medal in Paris and earning a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame, the 27-year-old ended a major championship drought that had persisted since spring 2016. As a three-time major winner, Ko joined Lorena Ochoa (2007) and Stacy Lewis (2013) as one of the few women to win a major at the Home of Golf.

Lydia Ko poses with the championship trophy after her victory at the AIG Women's Open in St. Andrews, Scotland.

"I don’t think there’s a word in the dictionary that can describe what just happened," Ko said, reflecting on her victory. She fended off a star-studded field, including World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who finished two strokes behind after a double bogey on the par-5 14th and a bogey on the Road Hole. Former No. 1s Jiyai Shin and Ruoning Yin were also among those she outlasted.

After Ko birdied the 72nd hole to take the clubhouse lead, her older sister and manager, Sura, noted that everything seemed to be coming together in the Auld Grey Toon. The field battled relentless winds and rain throughout the week, but as Ko secured a two-stroke victory that had seemed headed for a playoff just moments before, the sun broke through, capping a fairy-tale run.

When asked during the closing ceremony where a victory at the Old Course ranks in her career, Ko responded, "That’s like asking whether you like your mother or your father better."

The crowd erupted in applause.

This victory was particularly unexpected for Ko, given her limited success at the Women’s Open in the past and her recent adjustment to the challenges of links golf. Throughout the week, Ko found herself laughing at the absurdity of playing in such strong winds.

Ko was still a teenager when she won the ANA Inspiration, now known as Chevron, eight years ago—a time so distant that the only detail she recalls from that day is holding her nose as she leaped into Poppie’s Pond.

Now a 21-time LPGA winner, Ko has been candid about the struggles in her career. She remembered a particularly tough moment last year in Portland, where she was so disheartened after missing a cut that she couldn’t enjoy her barbecue with Sura, overwhelmed with tears and feeling lost.