It started with a reporter's question to Lydia Ko wondering why she had received treatment on her back and ended with the golfer being hailed for her honesty in addressing an issue that female athletes can often be reluctant to publicly discuss.

Ko, ranked No. 3 in the world, revealed in that recent post-round interview at a tournament in California that she had summoned her physio during the round because of back stiffness related to her monthly period.

"It's that time of the month," she said on live television. "When that happens, my back gets really tight and I'm all twisted. It's not the first time."