WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Hall of Famer Lydia Ko has been made a Dame in the New Year’s honors list in New Zealand for her services to golf.
A damehood is the female equivalent of a knighthood and she’s become Dame Lydia Ko after receiving one of New Zealand's highest civil honors on Tuesday.
Ko is the youngest New Zealander at age 27 to receive the honor.
The Korean-born Ko won the women's tournament at this year's Paris Olympics and also in 2024 became the 35th and youngest inductee to the LPGA Hall of Fame. Ko won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and a silver medal at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Ko was described in a citation accompanying the honors list as New Zealand's most successful golfer with 30 professional victories, including three majors.
In 2012 Ko became the youngest player, male or female, to win a professional championship when she won the women's New South Wales Open in Australia aged 14.
A year later, at 15, she became the youngest player to win an LPGA tour event. In February 2015, aged 17 years, 9 months and 9 days, she became the youngest player male or female to attain the No. 1 world ranking.
Ko is based in Orlando, Florida.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
FILE -Lydia Ko, of New Zealand, waves to the crowd wearing her gold medal during the medal ceremony following the final round of the women's golf event at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, at Le Golf National, in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
SYDNEY (AP) — Veteran Australia batter Usman Khawaja has announced he will retire from international cricket after the fifth Ashes test beginning Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
It will be the 39-year-old Khawaja's 88th and final test — played at the ground where he began his first-class career.
Khawaja informed his teammates on Friday morning that he would be retiring 15 years after making his test debut in 2011.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald earlier this week guaranteed Khawaja’s spot in the side for the SCG test but would not guarantee the left-hander’s future beyond that.
Australia, with a 3-1 lead going into the fifth test, has retained the Ashes.
Khawaja moved to Sydney from Pakistan as a child and scored his first Ashes century at the SCG with 171 against England in 2018.
It was also at that the SCG where he revived his career at age 35, scoring twin centuries against England when Travis Head missed a test in 2022 through COVID. That prompted one of the great late-career revivals, as Khawaja hit seven centuries in his next two years back in the side.
Khawaja’s position had come under scrutiny this season after being unable to open in the first Ashes test in Perth due to back spasms and then missing the Brisbane test with the injury.
He was then initially left out in Adelaide until Steve Smith’s vertigo allowed him to return, before an 82 in the first innings there ensured he would stay in the side for the fourth test in Melbourne.
Khawaja has scored 6,206 runs at an average of 43.49 in his 87 tests with 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australia's Travis Head, right, is congratulated by teammate Usman Khawaja after reaching 50 runs during play on day three of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Usman Khawaja sign autograph to fans after they won the third Ashes cricket test match against England in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 (AP Photo/James Elsby)
