Lydia Ko Admits to Throwing ‘Cuss Words’ at LPGA Pro After They Clashed at Major Tournament

“It’s not reachable for me,” Lydia Ko admitted, glancing at a hole 600 yards away from her. Pulling out her three-wood, the World No. 3 gave it a go, only to see the ball stop just short of the rough. Has such a situation ever gotten under her skin, she is asked. Ko brushes it off with a grin before digging up a memory when the golfer known for her calm lost her cool.

Playing a casual round of golf with Luke Kwon for his YouTube channel, the Kiwi recalled an instance from a Championship. Back then, the Hall of Famer had tried to play it safe by laying up with a six-iron, only to watch the ball splash into the water. “It took the lid off,” Ko admitted. As she was trying to compose herself, another player quipped that she knew not to lie up in the water. With a sarcastic tone, Ko replied, “No…and there were some cuss words that followed.”

For those unfamiliar with the technicality of golf, a six-iron is a mid-range club, pulled out for a more controlled shot than one with a longer distance. A three-wood, on the other hand, is built for power, designed to set the ball as far as possible. So when a pro chunks a safe six-iron layup into the water at a major, it’s a mistake that would have likely gnawed at a pro of Lydia Ko’s stature, who recently also admitted getting LASIK surgery.

What’s interesting is Ko’s reaction to the situation. Known across the LPGA circuit for her calm demeanour, the three-time major champion has rarely been seen losing her cool. Although at times she has admitted, her nerves have often crept into her game, causing her to fumble. At the 2023 Grand Thornton, Ko confessed to Golf.com she was so anxious in the early holes that she lost control of her tee shots — and even duffed one.

Still, there has never been a record of Ko cursing at a fellow player or having any run-ins with anyone on the course. She didn’t reveal which major the incident happened at or who the other player was, but for fans like us, it’s hard to imagine the former world number 1 to lose her cool that way. After all, Ko is one of a kind. “I’ve never heard of a player who does not like Lydia,” LPGA veteran Mel Reid told Golf.com.

Yet, Ko isn’t alone in seeing a seemingly safe shot turn disastrous. Other notable players have also, at times, fallen victim to water hazards in shocking fashion. Sergio Garcia famously found the water five times on a single hole during his 2018 Masters title defence, effectively ending his tournament. More recently, at the 2025 Players Championship, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Johnson Wagner both chipped into the water on the 12th hole.

But even with such clam and poise the Kiwi golfer does have some intense days besides that one moment.

The struggles and brilliance of Lydia Ko’s game

Even when Lydia Ko projects calm on the outside, golf has a way of slipping through her grip. She recently admitted on the No Laying Up podcast that there are days she leaves the course wondering why she’s still playing, a question that lingers no matter how much she tries to keep her focus steady. Her results this year have been proof of that disconnect – the missed cut at the Amundi Evian Championship and a T52 finish at the Chevron Championship.

But despite all this, her perspective has shifted. Ko has learned to embrace the chaos without letting it consume her. “When the time comes, it’s going to come.” That calm doesn’t mean indifference-it’s the kind of grounded acceptance that keeps her chasing the career Grand Slam instead of playing out of routine.