The teen golf sensation returned to her home city this morning after winning the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship tournament in a dramatic sudden-death playoff in Florida earlier the week.
She banked a massive $1.9 million with the win but looked like your average teenager as she came through the arrival gates dressed in grey sweatpants and a casual pink T-shirt.
Waiting family and friends ran to hug her and she had her hands full with two large bouquets of flowers.
They cheered and chanted for her as she arrived home after her successful rookie season.
Speaking briefly to media at the airport, Ko said she was glad to be home.
"It feels good to actually be home and seeing my friends and I can get out of the tour life for a while," she said.
Her break will be short-lived, however, as she is scheduled to play a charity golf tournament in Takapuna this weekend and will only be in Auckland for a week.
"I was really hoping to not play any golf for a while, but I think it's going to be fun and I really enjoyed doing a charity event last year," she said about the golf event which she is playing for free.
"I think it's going to be good, playing all the juniors and then later with the adults."
Ko would not say if she would be back to play the New Zealand Open next year.
"I'm really not sure yet," she said.
"It's actually clashing with one of the LPGA events, so I'm not really sure, we haven't discussed the schedule yet."
- By Patrice Dougan of NZME
