'It feels good to get out of the tour life for a while' - Lydia Ko glad to be home

Cheer from family and friends as Lydia Ko arrives at Auckland airport. Photo / Greg Bowker

Champion golfer Lydia Ko touched down in Auckland to cheers and applause from family and friends.

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."

Lydia Ko gets emotional as she is greeted by family and friends - and flowers - at Auckland Airport this morning. Photo / Greg Bowker

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."

Ko said she'd had a "phenomenal" year, but admitted the touring life could be "really tough".

"I mean, I've had a fantastic rookie year and I wouldn't have imagined myself to be in this situation," she said.

"It's just been a phenomenal year and I'm just going to rest up and hopefully have a good year next year."

Ko celebrates her huge pay-day.

Despite her attempts to stay low-key, the golf champ caused a bit of a stir at the airport with people stopping to take photographs and film the cheers from her family.

She left the airport side-by-side with her friend and followed by her grinning family and supporters.