Michael Glading: NZ Open Tournament Director on Lydia Ko winning the AIG Women’s Open

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko dominated in St Andrews - and walked away with another victory.

Ko's remarkable August has seen her claim an Olympic gold medal, a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame and her first major since 2016, after capturing the Women's Open in Scotland.

NZ Open Tournament Director Michael Glading says Lydia Ko's enthusiasm for golf has picked up again.

"She's been married a year or two now - and she's kind of getting the best of both worlds."

LISTEN ABOVE

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And have we got some great news out of Saint
Andrews in Scotland that came through this morning with a.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Score of two hundred and eighty one. The winner of
the gold medal and the twenty twenty four AIG Women's
Open champion is Lydia Cope.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
It's Lydia Coe's third major title, but boy, it's been
a while since she's had one. Michael Glading is New
Zealand Open Tournament director. Hey Michael, Hey Heather, Now what
is going on with her that she's had this pack
up and form lately?

Speaker 3 (00:28):
She's just amazing. I mean, you know, quality shines through,
doesn't it. I mean, she's just obviously she's I think
she's got some hunger back in the game. I think
she had this period of time where she was perhaps
not hitting the ball as well as she normally did
and perhaps lost a bit of that enthusiasm. But in
a golf for such a metal game, and clearly she's
shown that in the last month.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, I heard somebody say she's just in a really
great space at the moment. You know, she's traveling. I
think her partners around, her family's around, she's just having
a good time. Could it just be that.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
I think, I think that's a lot to do with it. Absolutely,
she's very happily married, and I think, to be fair,
when she first got married, I think that was very
much a focus rather than necessarily winning golf tournaments. She's
been married to a year or two now and she's
kind of getting the best of both worlds. But yeah,
it's just fantastic.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
What do you reckon, Michael about the kind of freedom
that you get in your game when you've achieved what
you wanted to achieve, Right, so you get you get
the bronze, then you get the silver, and then you know,
like whatever, everything after that's a bit of a cherry
on the top, and so she just starts playing really well.

Speaker 3 (01:26):
I think there's something in that. As I say, golf
for such a mental game, and pressure is something that
you only put on yourself, right, so if you kind
of feel like, wow, you know, I think having one.
I wasn't actually that surprised she won this week because
having won that gold, which I know for her was
absolutely for her a real pinnacle. I think you know,
she probably went into this week thinking, wow, you know,
it's been a great month no matter what. So again,

(01:48):
getting keep saying it, but that that bit between your
ears is just the most important part of a golf.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
Swing, see right, Michael, Hey, thank you very much, Go
and enjoy the rest of the form Michael Glading New
Zealand Open Tournament directly. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive,
listen live to News Talks it' B from four pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.