Lydia Ko

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Lydia Ko
— Golfer —

Personal information
Full name Bo-Gyung "Lydia" Ko
Nickname Lyds[1]
Born (1997-04-24) 24 April 1997
Seoul, South Korea
Nationality  New Zealand
Residence North Harbour, New Zealand
Career
Turned professional 2013
Current tour(s) LPGA Tour
Professional wins 5
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour 2
Ladies European Tour 1
LPGA of Korea Tour 1
ALPG Tour 2
Best results in LPGA Major Championships
Kraft Nabisco C'ship T25: 2013
LPGA Championship T17: 2013
U.S. Women's Open T36: 2013
Women's British Open T17: 2012
The Evian Championship 2nd: 2013
Achievements and awards
Mark H. McCormack Medal 2011, 2012, 2013

Lydia Ko (Korean: 고보경, Hanja: 高寶璟, born 24 April 1997) is a New Zealand professional golfer. Born Bo-Gyung Ko in Seoul, South Korea, she had been the top-ranked woman amateur golfer in the world for 130 weeks[2] when she announced she was turning professional on 23 October 2013. She became the youngest person ever to win a professional golf tour event[3] and youngest person ever to win an LPGA Tour event.[4] In August 2013, she became the only amateur to win two LPGA Tour events.[5] As an amateur she never missed a cut in 25 professional tournaments,[6] and by September 2013 had risen to fifth in the Women's World Golf Rankings in only 23 professional tournaments.[6]

She began playing golf as a five-year-old when her mother took her into a pro shop at the Pupuke Golf Club[7] on Auckland's North Shore owned by professional Guy Wilson who continued as her coach until 22 December 2013.[7][8]

2012 Women's NSW Open

On 29 January 2012, Ko became the youngest person ever to win a professional golf tour event by winning the Bing Lee/Samsung Women's NSW Open on the ALPG Tour.[3] She was 14 at the time, and had placed second in the event the year before. The previous youngest person ever to win a professional golf tour event was Japan's Ryo Ishikawa at age 15 years and 8 months.[9][10] Her record as the youngest winner of a professional event was broken later in 2012 by 14-year-old Canadian Brooke Henderson, who won the second event on that year's Canadian Women's Tour on 13 June.[11][12]

2012 and 2013 CN Canadian Women's Open

On 26 August 2012, at the age of 15 years and four months, Ko became the youngest-ever winner of an LPGA Tour event, winning with a score of 275 (−13) at the CN Canadian Women's Open. She surpassed the record set by Lexi Thompson at 16 years and seven months in September 2011. Her win also made her only the fifth amateur to have won an LPGA Tour event, and the first in over 43 years.[13] The 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open was a 72-hole event with a purse of $2 million; the winner's share of $300,000 went to runner-up Inbee Park who was three strokes back.[14]

Ko successfully defended her win at the 2013 CN Canadian Open, shooting 265 (−15) for a five-stroke victory over Karine Icher at the Royal Mayfair Club in Edmonton. The $300,000 winner's share went to Icher.

Turning pro

After finishing runner-up to Suzann Pettersen in The Evian Championship in France, Ko announced that she would turn pro in 2014.[6] However on 23 October 2013, Ko stated in a YouTube video featuring New Zealand rugby player Israel Dagg, that she was turning professional immediately and would play her first professional tournament in Florida in mid-November.[15] She finished tied for 21st in her pro debut at the 2013 CME Group Titleholders.

In October 2013, the LPGA Tour granted Ko's request to join the LPGA, waiving the Tour's requirement of members being at least 18 years old.[16]

Education

Ko was a student at Pinehurst School in Albany, New Zealand.[17] [18]

Amateur wins

Professional wins (5)

LPGA Tour (2)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 26 Aug 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open
(as an amateur)		 68-68-72-67=275 −13 3 strokes South Korea Inbee Park
2 25 Aug 2013 CN Canadian Women's Open
(as an amateur)		 65-69-67-64=265 −15 5 strokes France Karine Icher

Ladies European Tour (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 10 Feb 2013 ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open1 [25]
(as an amateur)		 70-68-68=206 −10 1 stroke United States Amelia Lewis

1 Co-sanctioned by the ALPG Tour

ALPG Tour (2)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 29 Jan 2012 Bing Lee Samsung Women's NSW Open
(as an amateur)		 69-64-69=202 −14 4 strokes Wales Becky Morgan
2 10 Feb 2013 ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open1
(as an amateur)		 70-68-68=206 −10 1 stroke United States Amelia Lewis

KLPGA Tour (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 8 Dec 2013 Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters 68-68-69=205 −11 3 strokes South Korea So Yeon Ryu

Results in LPGA majors

Tournament 2012 2013
Kraft Nabisco Championship DNP T25LA
LPGA Championship DNP T17LA
U.S. Women's Open T39LA T36
Women's British Open T17LA T42TLA
The Evian Championship ^ 2LA

^ The Evian Championship was added as a major in 2013.
LA = Low amateur
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
T = tied
Yellow background for top-10.

World ranking

Position in Women's World Golf Rankings at the end of each calendar year.

Year World
ranking 		Source
2010 549 [26]
2011 295 [27]
2012 43 [28]
2013 4 [29]

References

  1. ↑ "Our Lyds the Youngest Player in Worlds Field". NZ Institute Of Golf. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2012. 
  2. ↑ "Women's World Amateur Golf Rankings". The R&A. Retrieved 26 August 2012. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Lydia Ko, 14, wins tour event in Australia". ESPN.com. Associated Press. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2012. 
  4. ↑ "Ko becomes youngest winner". The New Zealand Herald. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012. 
  5. ↑ "Lydia Ko wins 2nd straight Canadian Women's Open". CBC Sport. 25 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Golf: Ko to go pro next year". The New Zealand Herald. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Robson, Toby (1 September 2012). "Practice certainly makes Lydia perfect". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 31 December 2012. 
  8. ↑ "Teen Golfer Lydia Ko Splits With Coach of 11 Years". The New York Times. Associated Press. 22 December 2013. 
  9. ↑ "Ko plays her way into golfing history". Stuff.co.nz. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012. 
  10. ↑ "Lydia Ko becomes golf's youngest tour winner, aged 14". BBC Sport. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012. 
  11. ↑ "Brooke Henderson wins second stop on CN Canadian Women's Tour" (Press release). CN Canadian Women's Tour. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2012. 
  12. ↑ "Lydia Ko, 15, wins in Canada". ESPN.com. 26 August 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2012. 
  13. ↑ "Lydia Ko, 15, wins Canadian Women's Open, becomes youngest ever LPGA winner". The Vancouver Sun. 26 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012. 
  14. ↑ "Final results: CN Canadian Women's Open". LPGA. 26 August 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2012. 
  15. ↑ "Lydia Ko goes professional - finally". The New Zealand Herald. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013. 
  16. ↑ "Lydia Ko, 16, gets OK to join LPGA". ESPN. Associated Press. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013. 
  17. ↑ Wade, Amelia; Pearl, Harry (28 August 2012). "Golf: Lydia makes her biggest splash". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 28 August 2012. 
  18. ↑ "ANZ gets behind Lydia Ko as she takes on the world". ANZ Bank New Zealand Ltd. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2013. 
  19. ↑ "Golf: Ko becomes youngest Australian strokeplay winner". The New Zealand Herald. 19 March 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2012. 
  20. ↑ "Ko easily wins New Zealand Strokeplay". iseekgolf.com. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2012. 
  21. ↑ "Golf: Ko wins 33-hole battle with Cho". The New Zealand Herald. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2012. 
  22. ↑ "Lydia Ko wins Australian amateur championship". Stuff.co.nz. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012. 
  23. ↑ "Lydia Ko first NZ woman to win US Amateur". Stuff.co.nz. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012. 
  24. ↑ "Ko wins individual title as NZ finish fifth". The New Zealand Herald. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012. 
  25. ↑ "Lydia Ko wins New Zealand Women's Open". Stuff.co.nz. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.  1
  26. ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 28 December 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2014. 
  27. ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 27 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014. 
  28. ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 31 December 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2014. 
  29. ↑ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 30 December 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2014. 

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