The 27-year-old became not only New Zealand’s youngest Dame but also the youngest in the modern Commonwealth. English sailor and yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur had previously held the title of youngest Dame, receiving the honour at 28 in 2005.

The news of her damehood came as a surprise to the Korean-born Aucklander, who admitted that, while she has always chased the biggest titles in her sport and strived for greatness in her chosen field, becoming a Dame had never crossed her mind.

“You don’t grow up thinking, ‘I’m going to become a Dame.’ You might say, ‘I want to become a Hall of Famer or World No. 1,’ but it’s so far beyond what we can control. So I thought, ‘Do I deserve it? Is this the right time?’ But to have these opportunities, and for someone else to bring it up, I’m very grateful,” she told New Zealand media outlets.

After a fantastic year in 2022, where the Kiwi won three times on the LPGA Tour and made every cut, 2023 was lacklustre, leaving Ko reeling and at arguably the lowest point of her career after failing to make the Tour Championship.

“It’s much more of a rollercoaster than any other sport. Not many elite athletes in other sports go from their highest to their lowest unless there are injuries involved. I was very healthy during my worst golf,” Ko explained to the media in December. “I’m so proud of overcoming my own doubts and fears and peaking at the pinnacle moments of my 11 years,” she added.

“That’s what I’m always going to remember. Even next year, or whatever lies ahead, if I go through spells where things don’t go my way, I now know for sure that no matter how low it gets, I can overcome that.”

Ko’s professional record speaks for itself, with 30 professional wins, 22 wins on the LPGA Tour, three major championships, and Olympic medals in gold, silver, and bronze – the latter coming in an emphatic display at last year’s Paris Olympics.

Her win at Le Golf National in Paris cemented her spot in the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame, making her the youngest ever inductee. This goal had been at her fingertips for the previous 12 months. Ko shared a two-shot buffer over the chasing pack, with Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux, heading into the final day. Her one-under-par final round was enough for a two-shot victory, completing the entire collection of Olympic medals she had earned in the previous two Games (silver in Rio de Janeiro 2016, bronze in Tokyo 2020).

Her gold medal triumph also saw Ko awarded the Lonsdale Cup, presented to an athlete who has made an outstanding contribution to an Olympic or Commonwealth sport by the New Zealand Olympic Committee. She received the award at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown in December.

The golden summer continued when the AIG Women’s Open returned to the Old Course at St Andrews for the first time since 2013. Ko displayed all her world-class qualities in typically hostile Scottish conditions, winning by two shots over Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda, Ruoning Yin, and Australian Open champion Jiyai Shin. It was a masterclass in course management and temperament, as Ko ended an eight-year drought at the majors, claiming her third at the Home of Golf.

Her third win came at the Kroger Queen City Championship, following her AIG Women’s Open Championship triumph. Her other LPGA Tour title came in her first start of the year at the Tournament of Champions in Orlando.

Ko was already a member of New Zealand’s Order of Merit, and becoming a Dame only adds to the abundance of accolades she has earned throughout her career as she sets her sights on more success in 2025 and beyond.

“I would love a chance to go for the career grand slam—winning all five different majors. It’s a small circle of people who have done that, especially in this day and age, and the competition is high. That is my goal, something I walk towards,” Ko added when speaking to the New Zealand Herald.