Favouring fairways over catwalks world No 3 golfer Lydia Ko chases career Grand Slam

SINGAPORE – The past year has been “amazing” for Lydia Ko, who completed her Olympic trifecta with a gold at the Paris Games before ending an eight-year Major drought by winning the Women’s British Open.

But the wow factor just got bigger when the South Korean-born New Zealander appeared all glammed up after swopping her golfing attire for Italian luxury brand Loro Piana on the cover of March’s issue of Vogue Korea.

The 27-year-old’s foray into the world of fashion was certainly an eye-opener, admitted the world No. 3 at a press conference on Feb 26, ahead of the US$2.4 million (S$3.2 million) HSBC Women’s World Championship from Feb 27 to March 2 at Sentosa Golf Club.

She said: “Some people are like, ‘Oh, is she the same person?’ It was so much fun, and my first experience of being on a fashion magazine outside of golf clothes and my hat...

“I was super proud and excited of the way it turned out and obviously very grateful to Vogue... It’s literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

While she is intrigued by fashion and modelling – she has been watching clips on YouTube – she insisted that this is not in her future plans, recalling how she wore one of the dresses the wrong way around.

Said Ko: “I’m honestly not envious of the models... It’s a lot of work and a lot of people to make that cover shoot the way it is.”

Her focus is still very much on golf, as she affirmed her intention to capture a career Grand Slam, having won three – the Evian Championship, Chevron Championship and British Open – out of five Majors in women’s golf.

Ko’s British Open victory at St Andrews was what ignited this dream, with the 22-time LPGA Tour winner noting that