Lydia Ko Finishes Outside Top 50 at First Major of 2025
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Lydia Ko’s hopes for a strong start to the 2025 major championship season were dashed at the Chevron Championship, where the former world No. 1 struggled to find her rhythm and finished outside the top 50 in a disappointing performance.
Coming into the year’s first major with cautious optimism and flashes of solid play earlier in the season, Ko was aiming to reassert herself among the LPGA elite. But the 27-year-old New Zealander found little momentum at Carlton Woods, where swirling winds and firm greens challenged even the field’s best.
Ko opened the tournament with a modest round, but consecutive over-par scores on Friday and Saturday pushed her down the leaderboard. A closing round in the 70s wasn’t enough to recover lost ground, and she ultimately finished T56 — a result well below her expectations and pedigree.
“It was just one of those weeks where nothing quite clicked,” Ko admitted. “I felt good coming in, but I couldn’t get any real momentum going. It’s frustrating, but that’s golf sometimes.”
Ko’s finish not only delays her hunt for a third major title, but also puts pressure on her to perform in upcoming events as she chases qualification for both the 2025 Paris Olympics and the LPGA’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. Once a dominant force on the tour, Ko has experienced peaks and valleys in recent seasons as she works to recapture her best form.
Still, her experience, talent, and resilience remain undeniable. With three more majors on the calendar and plenty of season left, Ko will look to regroup and bounce back quickly.
“I’ve had low moments before and have always found my way back,” she said. “It’s just about staying patient and continuing to put in the work.”
The Chevron Championship may not have gone her way, but Lydia Ko’s story in 2025 is far from finished.
