“What I said to myself as I was walking down the 18th was, ‘I’m so proud of myself.’ And I never tell me that,” Ko said. “I think it’s quite embarrassing to say it because it seems a bit narcissistic to me. But I was really proud that I overcame my own doubts. It doesn’t matter what the media says about me or what any viewer says.
“The scariest thing is what you get between the ears. And they are the hardest to remove.”
It had nothing to do with her gold medal performance and dream week in Paris, as the victory gave her the final point she needed to make the LPGA Hall of Fame.
2023 Ko has had such a difficult time that self-doubt has become greater than ever.
She considers 2022 to be her best year, with three wins, finishing the year ranked number one in the world, and getting married. The 27-year-old Kiwi felt 2023 was one of the worst of her career when she failed to reach the season-ending Tour Championship.
“It’s crazy, but that’s what golf can do to you,” Ko said. “It’s more of a rollercoaster than any other sport. Few elite athletes in other sports go from the highest to the lowest level unless it involves injury. During my worst golf, I was very healthy.”
On Monday, she spoke in Orlando to promote the season-opening Tournament of Champions, where her year-long victory made it a year she won’t forget. She has had more productive seasons, but Olympic gold and a victory at the British Open at St Andrews are hard to surpass.
The turnaround began with a victory in the mixed Invitational in Naples, Florida with Jason Day, which showed she was headed in the right direction. The lone victory at Lake Nona the following month to start the new season was even better. But she said it’s a lot to overcome.
“Last year I was talking to my sister after I missed my billionth appearance at the Portland Classic,” she said with a laugh. “I remember eating barbecue in Texas and crying so much that I wasn’t sure what the barbecue tasted like. I had no idea if I would win again. I lost all sense of direction. And it sucks.
“I am very proud that I overcame my own doubts and fears and rose to the top during the most important moments of my 11-year-old life,” she said. “This is what I will always remember. Even next year or whatever comes next, if there are times when things don’t go my way, I now know for sure that no matter how low I fall, I can handle it.”
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