Lydia Ko finds comfort in her 'happy place' after U.S. Women’s Open struggles

Lydia Ko shared an update on her life after the 2025 U.S. Women's Open. The New Zealander struggled to shoot low scores in the major championship.

The former World No. 1 golfer ended the week at Erin Hills tied for 26th place with A Lim Kim and Jing Yan. Having hoped for a better finish at the 2025 U.S. Women's Open, Lydia Ko found some comfort in her "happy place."

Here's a look at Ko's latest Instagram Story (via Instagram @lydsko):

Lydia Ko shares a snap of her "happy place" (Image via Instagram @lydsko)

Lydia Ko shared an image of her dog, Kai, who is a gorgeous Shiba Inu. Kai was adopted by the golfing star and her husband, Chung Jun, in early 2024. The Olympic gold medal winner captioned the snap (via Instagram @lydsko):

"My happy place"

The LPGA Tour sensation is deeply in love with her dog. Ko often brings Kai to her tournaments and sometimes even sits in on press conferences with her. In an interview last year, she disclosed that her dog helps her in her personal life and on the golf course.

Lydia Ko has also openly stated that if someone presented her with an ultimatum of winning another Major championship, being unable to be with her dog, or ending her career with three Major victories and cherishing her time with Kai, she would choose the last option.

What has Lydia Ko's best finish at the U.S. Women's Open been?

Having won three major championships, Lydia Ko's goal is to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the U.S. Women's Open and the Women's PGA Championship. She has made 14 appearances at the former event and made the cut 13 times.

Lydia Ko missed her first cut at the U.S. Women's Open last year. She made her first appearance in 2012, where she received low amateur honors. The Olympian has garnered two finishes inside the top five, with her best being in 2016, where she finished in third place.

Here's a look at Ko's track record at the U.S. Women's Open:

2012

Course - Blackwolf Run
Score - 12 over par
Finish - T39

2013

Course - Seabonack Golf Club
Score - 11 over par
Finish - T36

2014

Course - Pinehurst Resort and Country Club (Course No. 2)
Score - 7 over par
Finish - 15th

2015

Course - Lancaster Country Club
Score - 1 under par
Finish - T12

2016

Course - CordeValle
Score - 4 under par
Finish - T3

2017

Course - Trump National Golf Club
Score - 2 over par
Finish - T33

2018

Course - Shoal Creek
Score - 9 over par
Finish - T49

2019

Course - Country Club of Charleston
Score - 5 over par
Finish - T39

2020

Course - Champions Golf Club
Score - 5 over par
Finish - T13

2021

Course - The Olympic Club
Score - 10 over par
Finish - T35

2022

Course - Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club
Score - 5 under par
Finish - 5th

2023

Course - Pebble Beach Golf Links
Score - 8 over par
Finish - T33

2024

Course - Lancaster Country Club
Score - 13 over par
Finish - MC

2025

Course - Erin Hills
Score - 3 over par
Finish - T26

About the author

Lathika is one of the newer additions to Sportskeeda’s budding golf journalism team and has brought plenty of in-game experience to the role. Having been a golfer for over 12 years now, some of her crowning achievements include winning titles on the Indian Golf Union Ladies tour and Junior Girls Amateur tour.

She currently competes in Division 1 golf in New York, and hopes to play in the U.S. Open and Chevron Championship one day. She is set to cover the 2025 Ryder Cup as well. She is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management, and holds a Sports Marketing certification from Northwestern University, which helped her learn to draft press releases and ultimately transition into journalism.

Lathika has thus developed a knowledge base that allows her to view golf from both player, spectator and media lenses, enabling her to bring statistics, insights and an understanding of fan emotion together in her copies. She only uses verified information from reliable sources like the PGA TOUR.

Her favorite golfers are Nelly Korda and Tiger Woods, both for their playing style as well as their mental strength. Much of her time away from work is spent playing golf, but she also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and learning new hobbies or upskilling.

Know More

Edited by Samya Majumdar