Lydia Ko becomes life member of Auckland’s Pupuke Golf Club at 18

Kiwi champion Lydia Ko has become a proud life member of her first New Zealand golf club at the age of 18.

Speaking in Singapore in the leadup to Saturday’s HSBC Women’s Championship, Ko said she was honoured with life membership of the Pupuke Golf Club in Auckland.

Ko started her career at Pupuke when her mother, Tina, took her to the North Shore club as a five-year-old. She was taken under the wing at the time by Pupuke’s then golf pro, Guy Wilson, who guided her early career before swing guru David Leadbetter took over in 2014.

The world number one spent a week at home after winning the New Zealand Open in Christchurch and then finishing runner-up in the Australian Open a fortnight ago. Karaoke – including a couple of Adele numbers – and catching up with friends were high on Ko’s agenda, but there were still some golf engagements.

“So last week there were sponsor things, and [I] got to catch up with some of my closest friends,” she said.

“I got to see another athlete that could possibly go to the Rio Olympics [swimmer Daniel Hunter].

“And I got a life membership at the first golf club that I was a member at in New Zealand, Pupuke, all these exciting things.

“Went to karaoke twice. That’s maybe why my throat’s gone a little bit.”

Asked what she sang, Ko said:”Anything that’s kind of in my range. I don’t go very high up or very low down. I like to try and sing Adele songs. I mean, it’s a pretty bold move. But we just had fun. My friends’ friend[s] were dancing and we were just having a good time. They were actually good singers, so I kind of had to hide away in the corner.”

Ko, who is based in Florida  when not playing on the LPGA circuit, said she had “a lot of fun” and enjoyed her return to Auckland. She skipped the Thailand Open so she could have a break in New Zealand.”Obviously home is quite far from Orlando, so I don’t get an opportunity to go back much, but I enjoyed it.”

Ko said defending the New Zealand Open was “a pretty cool feeling” and she “played really solidly in Australia”.

“Most of the times, if you shoot 67 on a final day and you’re in the final few groups, you’re putting yourself in contention towards the top. But Haru [Nomura] played better and when that happens, you can’t do much about it. But it’s a really good start to the season, and I mean, it could always be better in that sense. But I’m very pleased with the way it started.”

Ko finished second at last year’s HSBC Championship in Singapore, two shots behind Inbee Park.She said Park “obviously played it perfectly last year”, going bogey-free, 72 holes.

“If you’re bogey-free for 18 holes, you’d be happy, but 72 holes, that’s pretty impressive. So she kind of set the benchmark. You try and have to work off that.”