“It’s okay to not be okay” - Lydia Ko opens up about overcoming emotional adversity in the recent episode of 'Spill the Tee' podcast

Lydia Ko recently opened up about overcoming the low moments of her career, stating that it was okay to not always feel fine.

Ko started her career with a bang and experienced a lot of success in the early stages of her professional career. In 2012, she broke the then-record for being the youngest winner at a professional tour event. She won the 2015 Evian Championship, became No. 1 in the rankings, and by 2018, she had already won 15 LPGA Tour titles.

However, from then until last year, she could only add one more title to her tally. It took her more than five years to regain the top ranking.

Speaking on the Golf Channel's 'Spill the Tee' podcast, the Kiwi star shed some light on her state of mind during her low phases. She said:

"Even though we're not celebrities, We are in the public eye, especially when we're at a tournament. With social media and everything like that, and I think sometimes, like when I realize that, 'Oh, I'm pretending to smile,' or 'I'm pretending to be something that I'm not,' I think it's like I get those kind of self-awareness wakeup calls.

"And I think that makes me almost take a step back and be like, 'Hey, you know what? It's okay to not be okay.' And I think it's okay to be honest about your emotions."

The 26-year-old golfer had a fantastic previous season, winning three titles to finish the year as No. 1. This year, however, didn't go as per her expectations, as she hasn't managed to make it into the top 10 since her joint sixth-place finish at the Honda LPGA Thailand.

Although Ko has struggled with her form this year, one can always expect a golfer of her caliber to make a strong comeback.

How many professional titles has Lydia Ko won?

Lydia Ko has won 26 professional titles in her career, including 19 on the LPGA Tour. She has also won two major championship titles so far. Besides, she is also a two-time Olympic medalist.

Here are all the professional wins of Lydia Ko:

LPGA Tour

2012: CN Canadian Women’s Open
2013: CN Canadian Women’s Open
2014: Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic
2014: Marathon Classic and O-I
2014: CME Group Tour Championship
2015: ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open
2015: Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic
2015: Canadian Pacific Women's Open
2015: The Evian Championship
2015: Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship
2016: Kia Classic
2016: ANA Inspiration
2016: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
2016: Marathon Classic presented
2018: LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship
2021: Lotte Championship
2022: Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio
2022: BMW Ladies Championship
2022: CME Group Tour Championship

Ladies European Tour

2013: ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open
2015: ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open
2016: ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open
2021: Aramco Saudi Ladies International
2023: Aramco Saudi Ladies International

ALPG Tour

2012: Bing Lee Samsung Women's NSW Open

KLPG Tour

2013: Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters

Olympics

2016 Rio Olympics: Silver Medalist
2020 Tokyo Olympics: Bronze Medalist