Lydia Ko spends quality time on the course with her furry 'best friend'

Lydia Ko shared a heartwarming moment with her dog during a day out on Friday, April 18. The LPGA star shared a picture of her dog, Kai, whom she adopted at the Mizuho Americas Open last year.

In a recent Instagram story, Ko posted a selfie in a gray hoodie and cap, smiling alongside her canine companion. The two appeared to be outside on the golf course. She captioned the post:

"Another day out ⛳️ with my best friend ❤️."

Lydia Ko's Instagram story

Last year, at the CME Group Tour Championship, Ko shared the story of adopting her Shiba Inu dog, Kai. She said that she met Kai during the Mizuho tournament in New York after searching for breeders for months. She added that Kai didn't immediately warm up to them, but a connection was formed.

Ko mentioned that her husband encouraged the adoption after he became emotional about leaving him and cried on the way to the airport. In the press conference, she said she'd prefer Kai over another major championship title.

"I would rather not win a major and have Kai in my life," she said, via ASAP Sports.

When asked what it's like to have Kai during a tournament, she said:

"It's been a lot of fun. He keeps me on my toes. I can't open the door very quickly because I'm worried he's going to dash for it and bark at every person that walks by the pool area. He's great.

"He keeps me more focused while I am practicing and then while I'm off, I'm able to switch off and just enjoy time with him and kind of also figure out what life is outside of just golf course, hotel," she added.

Lydia Ko isn't competing this week at the 2025 JM Eagle LA Championship at El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles. She will be seen at the golf course next week at the Chevron Championship, the first major of the season.

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A look at Lydia Ko's performances in 2025

Lydia Ko has had a stellar start to the 2025 season. She has competed in five tournaments so far and has made the cut in all of them. Further, she has registered one win and three top-10 finishes.

Ko won the 2025 HSBC Women's World Championship by four strokes at the beginning of March. Her other notable finishes include a sixth-place at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and another T6 at the Ford Championship.

Let's take a look at Lydia Ko's performances in the 2025 season:

• Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions: 6 (275, -13)
• Founders Cup pres. by U.S. Virgin Islands: T48 (283, -1)
• HSBC Women's World Championship: 1 (275, -13)
• Ford Championship pres. by Wild Horse Pass: T6 (270, -18)
• T-Mobile Match Play pres. by MGM Rewards: T35