Lydia Ko: Paris Olympics gold, LPGA Hall of Fame haven't sunk in yet | Golf Today | Golf Channel

PLAYER OF THE YEAR, 2-TIME TROPHY WINNER, AND GOLD MEDAL GIVING HER THE 4th POINT WE HEAR FROM LYDIA KO NOW. >> I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS SUNK IN YET. I DIDN'T SLEEP SATURDAY NIGHT JUST BECAUSE OF TRAVEL LOGISTICS AND ALL THAT. SO I WENT TO SLEEP FOR THE FIRST TIME ON SUNDAY NIEGHT. IT WAS PRETTY SURREAL. WOKE UP AND I WAS LIKE WAS THAT A DREAM, DID THAT REALLY HAPPEN. SUPER EXCITING. YOU HAVE GOTTEN AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF SUPPORT FROM THE PLAYERS AND PEOPLE I KNOW. JUST VERY GRATEFUL FOR LITERALLY THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY. >> YOU MENTIONED YOU GOT A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM OTHER PLAYERS. WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST IMPACTFUL MESSAGE OR THAT YOU HAVE GOTTEN FROM SOMEONE AFTER ACCOMPLISHING WHAT YOU HAVE DONE? >> A LOT OF THE LADIES THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE HALL OF FAME REACHED OUT AND IS WISHING SOMEONE LIKE NANCY LOPEZ, SHE GIVES ME GOOD VIBES. ALWAYS WORDS OF WISDOM AND FOR SOMEBODY LIKE HER TO TAKE ME UNDER HER WING AND SUPPORT ME, IT MEANS A LOT. THERE'S JUST BEEN SO MANY PEOPLE THAT SAID THEY HAD CRIED WATCHING ME. AND IT MEANS A LOT. I HAVE SEEN SOME OF MY GOOD FRIENDS HERE AS WELL. IT'S PRETTY SURREAL. I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF THE MOMS THAT NEARLY BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES AGAIN. WE ALL KNOW HOW HARD IT IS. IT'S LIKE WE'RE GOING ON THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER. FOR SO MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT PLAY ALONGSIDE AND SEE THEM TO SUPPORT ME LIKE THIS, IT MEANS A LOT. AND I THINK THAT IS THE MOST GRATEFUL THING OF ALL OF THIS. >> HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE HALL OF FAMER PART OF YOUR TITLE NOW? WHAT DOES THE HALL OF FAME IN PARTICULAR MEAN TO YOU? >> YEAH, SUPER COOL. MOLLY GAVE ME THE WARMEST WELCOME TO THE HALL OF FAME ON THAT SATURDAY. AND I THINK I HAVE SAID MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE, I DIDN'T REALLY THINK I WAS CAPABLE OF GETTING IN ANY SORT OF HALL OF FOAME. SOMETHING THAT HAS GIVEN ME REALLY SO MUCH IT'S SURREAL. I KNOW ALL THE LEGENDS IN THE HALL OF FAMES, THEY ARE THE GREATS. THEY LED THIS PATHWAY FOR US TO HAVE THIS KIND OF OPPORTUNITY. SO TO SAY THAT I'M PART OF THAT KIND OF HISTORY BOOK IS REALLY COOL. AND I THINK I ALMOST NEED A FEW WEEKS OFF TO REALLY TAKE EVERYTHING OF ALL OF THIS. S IT'S BEEN IN MY BACKPACK. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN IN THE CASE YET. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FULLY TREASURE IT VERY WELL. IT'S RIGHT THERE. >> I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT IN A COUPLE DAYS. I THINK WHEN I WAS FLYING WITH IT, IT WAS WEIRD TO TAKE IT OUT. BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY KNOWS I'M AN ATHLETE OR OLYMPIAN OR I HAD WON A MEDAL. IT'S KIND OF AWKWARD AT TIMES. I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S BRAGGING, BUT I HAVE TO. WE TOOK IT OUT THIS MORNING TO BRING IT OUT HERE, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN MY RIO OR TOKYO OLYMPIC MEDALS SINCE THE DAY I GOT IT EITHER. NOW THAT I HAVE THREE, I THINK I NEED TO FIND A GOOD PLACE TO PUT THEM ALTOGETHER. ONE OF MY COACHES WAS ASKING WHAT'S YOUR GOAL NOW. I SAID IT WILL BE REALLY COOL TO WIN A MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE I'M DONE PLAYING. IDENTITY I-DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT TIME S BUT I THINK IT'S GOOD TO HAVE ANOTHER GOAL AND THAT IS DEFINITELY A GOAL OF MINE. IF IT HAPPENS NEXT WEEK, I WOULD BE PRETTY SHOCKED TO SAY. SO IT'S TWO OF THE BIGGEST EVENTS IN MY SEASON. SO I DON'T KNOW IF OR WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY IS GOING TO COME, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO BE MORE IN CONTENTION AND KIND OF ENJOY BEING IN THAT KIND OF A SITUATION. >> I THINK GOLF RETURNED TO THE OLYMPICS IN 2016 IN OVER 100 YEARS. WE HEARD SOME UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES WITH COVID IN THE PAST TWO GAMES. THIS ONE IS KIND OF THE FIRST ONE WHERE IT'S BACK TO NORMAL. WE HAD 30,000 FANS. AND IT WAS TRULY A CELEBRATION OF SPORT AND FINALLY WHERE GOLF WAS FULLY INTEGRATED INTO THE GAMES. SO I DO HOPE THAT MANY MORE JUNIORS GET INSPIRED NOT ONLY BY MYSELF, BUT BY SEEING THE GAMES AND GET THE DREAM OF THEM HOPING TO BECOME AN OLYMPIAN AND REPRESENT THEIR COUNTRY ONE DAY AND REPRESENTING MY COUNTRY WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST HONORS OF MY LIFE. I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY A BIG DREAM THAT I THINK MANY JUNIORS, NOT GOLFERS, BUT IN OTHER SPORTS SHOULD DREAM OF BECOMING. IF I CAN DO IT, THEY CAN DO IT TOO. >> YOU SAID WHEN YOU RETIRE. >> I ALWAYS SAID 30, BUT I SAID 30 10 YEARS AGO, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY I SAID 30 AT THAT POINT. I HAVE BAD DAYS AND GOOD DAYS, AND DAYS I WANT TO QUIT THAT DAY. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN DO AND DO THIS FOREVER AND IT FEELS LIKE THAT MOMENT IS GOING TO LAST FOREVER. I PERSONALLY DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT ENDING POINT IS, BUT I OBVIOUSLY HAVE GOLF, SO I'M NOT CLUELESSLY PLAY ING ON TOUR. EVEN IF I WAS TO STOP TODAY, I'M OBVIOUSLY VERY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPP

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