“I know for a fact I’m probably never playing past 30,”  said Lydia Ko in 2024 regarding her playing career. The timeline has gotten less stringent, as Ko also said, “Thirty is a long way to go.” Before she retires, whenever that is, there is one thing she wishes to achieve: Grand Slam. And now that she’s on brink of it at coming US Women’s Open, she is in no mood to slow down.

The 2025 US Women’s Open at Erin Hills is all set to commence on May 29, and the 28-year-old golfer was seen in high spirits in her prep. She also surveyed the playing area alongside her caddie, Paul Cormack. He has been her permanent caddie since the second half of 2023. He helped Ko clinch the 2024 AIG Women’s Open, and gold in Paris. But that’s not all that the 23-time LPGA Tour winner has in store. She is going all in!

Lydia Ko was seen putting in the work in the gym ahead of the second major of the season. Her trainer, Sangkyu Ham, had posted a reel that detailed her intense workout in preparation for the upcoming US Women’s Open. The golfer had reshared the post as a story. Her workouts included a combination of intense lower-body and upper-body exercises aimed at getting her in the best possible shape ahead of her second major of the season at Wisconsin.

There is also another reason why the Olympic gold medalist is putting in the yards to keep her body fit. Ko had also been dealing with a small issue with her neck and right arm. This happened ahead of the Chevron Championship in April. “It was playable, but I could feel it at the top of my backswing and my finish,” the New Zealand golfer had stated then. Whether it was the injury or not, she had a disappointing outing at Texas, finishing T52 with a score of 5 over par. The US Women’s Open, however, holds more at stake for her compared to the Chevron Championship since a career Grand Slam is on the line. So she cannot afford to make mistakes.

It is her main goal now. She has made it clear, more so after becoming a Hall of Famer. “This year my thoughts have turned to the possibility of completing the career Grand Slam. It’s good to have goals. The Grand Slam seems really far out there, but what has happened the past few years has been on a similar level of craziness, I guess. I would love a chance of winning all five different Majors. For me that would be the continuation of the fairytale. So why not try for another happy ending?,” said Ko to Golf Monthly. 

A victory at Erin Hills would give her the Career Grand Slam, as she would have won four majors. It could also propel her to try and go for the Super Career Grand Slam, an honor that is specific to women’s golf. A Super Career Grand Slam is achieved when the player has won all five majors on the LPGA Tour.

Lydia Ko stands at the precipice of history

“It’s a small circle who have done the career Grand Slam, especially in this day and age, when the competition is so high. But that is my goal, something to aim at. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t define my career but that is the biggest thing I’m working on,” she said to Golf Monthly. Along with Louise Suggs and Mickey Wright, only five other players – Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, Karrie Webb, Annika Sorenstam and Inbee Park has achieved the honors on the LPGA Tour. Ko says rightfully that not having a Grand Slam will not define her, but it would definitely make her feel good.

“I think a career Grand Slam was probably my biggest goal. I think when I first said it as a teenager, I probably didn’t realize how difficult that was.” Ko’s first step in achieving this would be to win the US Women’s Open at the Erin Hills Golf Course, but she does have a chance at the Women’s PGA Championship in Texas during the tail end of June. However, she also has the chance to imitate Karrie Webb and clinch the Super Career Grand Slam before the end of the year if all things fall in place in her favor.

Do you think Lydia Ko can claim her second title on the LPGA Tour this season and achieve the Career Grand Slam at Wisconsin this year?