Who's who in golf - Lydia Ko
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| Name: |
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Bo-Gyung "Lydia" Ko |
| Country: |
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New Zealand
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| Born : |
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April 24, 1997 in South Korea's capital city of Seoul. |
| Original Home/Club: |
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Pupuke GC, Auckland. |
| Occupation: |
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Professional golfer |
| Turned Pro: |
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2013 |
| Web Address: |
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http://www.lydiako.co.nz
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Roll of Honour
MAJORS (2): The Evian (2015); ANA Inspiration (2016). Olympic Silver Medal (2016, Rio). Multiple winner on the US LPGA, European, Korean and Australian Tours. US LPGA Tr Rookie of the Year (2014). Race to the CME Globe Champion (2014, '15). US LPGA Tour leading money winner (2015). Held the position of No.1 golfer in the Women's Official World Golf Rankings.
Did you know?
Ko's amateur career was nothing short of spectacular. Having started the game aged five, at 14 she became the youngest golfer ever to win a professional event (2012 New South Wales Open). She was the world's top-ranked woman amateur player for over 2 years, and became the first amateur to win two US LPGA events. As an amateur she played in 25 professional tournaments, never missing a cut.
In 2014, her first full season as a professional, she won three LPGA Tour events and was named LPGA Rookie of the Year. Not content with being the Tour's leading rookie, she scooped the inaugural Race to the CME Globe - the LPGA Tour's season-long points competition.
More records were broken and prizes gathered in a highly successful 2015. At age 18 yrs 4 mths and 20 days, Ko became the youngest ever winner of a women's major championship, which she did at the 2015 Evian Championship. Success in 2015 was not just confined to her first Major. Ko also won tour events in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Taiwan, as well as becoming the US LPGA Tour's leading money winner, and for the second time the CME Globe champion.
Top tournaments won by Lydia Ko
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| 2016 | Wmn Majors | ANA Inspiration | Mission Hills CC | 276 (-12) | $390,000 |
| Played as the ANA Inspiration (45th). Second-placed Charley Hull (Eng) and In-gee Chun (S Kor) finished one shot behind Ko (NZ), who recorded back-to-back LPGA Tr wins. At 18 yrs 11 mths 9 days, Ko became the LPGA Tour's youngest ever two-time major champion, and youngest man or woman to win two majors since Young Tom Morris in 1869. [Dinah Shore Tournament course, Mission Hills CC, Rancho Mirage, CA]. |
| 2016 | Wmn America | Kia Classic | Aviara GC | 269 (-19) | $255,000 |
| Played as the Kia Classic. Second-placed Inbee Park (S Kor) finished 4 shots behind Ko (NZ). [Aviara GC, Carlsbad, CA]. |
| 2016 | Wmn America | Marathon Classic | Highland Meadows | 270 (-14) | $225,000 |
| Played as the Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning & O-I. Ko (NZ) beat Mirim Lee (S Kor) and Ariya Jutanugarn (Thai) with a birdie at the fourth playoff hole (par-5 18th). [Highland Meadows GC, Sylvania, nr Toledo, OH]. |
| 2016 | Wmn Aus/NZ | New Zealand Women's Open | Clearwater Resort | 206 (-10) | €30,000 |
| Played as the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open (Feb 12-14; ALPG/LET Trs event; LET season-opener). Second-placed Felicity Johnson (Eng), Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Den) and Choi Hye-jin (S Kor, amateur) finished 2 shots behind defending champion Ko (NZ). [Clearwater Resort, Christchurch, NZ]. |
| 2016 | Wmn America | NW Arkansas Ch'ship | Pinnacle CC | 196 (-17) | $300,000 |
| Played as the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G. Second-placed Candie Kung (Taiw) and Morgan Pressel (USA) finished 3 shots behind Ko (NZ). [Pinnacle CC, Rogers, Arkansas]. |
| 2015 | Wmn Aus/NZ | Australian Women's Open | Royal Melbourne | 283 (-9) | US$180,000 |
| Played as the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open (ALPG/LET/LPGA Trs event). Second-placed Amy Yang (S Kor) finished 2 shots behind 17-year-old Ko (NZ), who became the youngest ever winner of the Women's Australian Open. [Composite of East & West courses, Royal Melbourne GC, Victoria, Aus]. |
| 2015 | Wmn America | Canadian Women's Open | Vancouver GC | 276 (-12) | $337,500 |
| Played as the Canadian Pacific Women's Open. Ko (NZ) beat Stacy Lewis (USA) with a par at the first playoff hole (par-4 18th), to claim her third win in this event. [The Vancouver GC, Coquitlam, nr Vancouver, BC]. |
| 2015 | Wmn Majors | Evian Ch'ship | Evian Resort | 268 (-16) | $487,500 |
| The Evian Championship (22nd) (Sept 10-13). Second-placed Lexi Thompson (USA) finished 6 shots behind Ko (NZ), who at age 18 yrs 4 mths 20 days became the youngest ever women's major championship winner, a record previously held by Morgan Pressel (USA). [Evian Resort GC, Evian-les-Bains, France]. |
| 2015 | Wmn Asia | LPGA Taiwan | Miramar, Tpe | 268 (-20) | US$300,000 |
| Played as the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship (Oct 22-25; LPGA Tr event). Second-placed So Yeon Ryu (S Kor) and Eun-hee Ji (S Kor) finished 9 shots behind Ko (NZ). 18-year-old Ko recorded her tenth LPGA Tour victory, breaking Nancy Lopez's ten win record by almost 3.5 years. Ko's win returned her to the World No.1 spot. [Miramar G&CC, Taipei, Taiwan]. |
| 2015 | Wmn Aus/NZ | New Zealand Women's Open | Clearwater Resort | 202 (-14) | €30,000 |
| Played as the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open (Feb 27-Mar 1; ALPG/LET Trs event). Second-placed Hannah Green (Aus, amateur) finished 4 shots behind Ko (NZ), who claimed her second NZ Open title in three years. [Clearwater Resort, Christchurch, NZ]. |
| 2015 | Wmn Awards | Plyr of Yr - LPGA | | 280 pts | n/a |
| Ko (NZ) won the LPGA Rolex Player of the Year Award, based on a points system for top 10 finishes and performance in Majors. Inbee Park (S Kor) was second with 278 pts; Sei Young Kim (S Kor) was third with 161 pts. |
| 2015 | Wmn America | Swinging Skirts Classic | Lake Merced GC | 280 (-8) | $270,000 |
| Played as the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic (April 23-26). Defending champion Ko (NZ) beat Morgan Pressel (USA) with a birdie at the second playoff hole. Ko celebrated her 18th birthday on the Friday (April 24) of this event. [Lake Merced GC, San Francisco, CA]. |
| 2014 | Wmn Awards | CME Globe - LPGA | | 7,500 pts | $1,000,000 |
| Ko (NZ) won the inaugural LPGA Tour season-long points chase, to capture the Race to the CME Globe and $1 million bonus. Stacy Lewis (USA) was second with 5,650 pts; Michelle Wie (USA) was third with 5,100 pts. The Globe is awarded based on points earned for "above the cut line" finishes during the LPGA Tour season. |
| 2014 | Wmn America | Marathon Classic | Highland Meadows | 269 (-15) | $210,000 |
| Played as the Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning & O-I. Second-placed So Yeon Ryu (S Kor) finished 1 shot behind 17-year-old Ko (NZ), who claimed her fourth LPGA Tour title. [Highland Meadows GC, Sylvania, nr Toledo, Ohio]. |
| 2014 | Wmn Awards | Rookie of Yr - LPGA | | 1,720 pts | $2,089,033 |
| Ko (NZ) won the LPGA Tour 2014 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award as the leading first-season player. Using a season-long points system (based on finishes in Tour events), Ko accumulated 1,720 pts; Mirim Lee (S Kor) was second with 941 pts. Ko finished third on the LPGA money list, with earnings of $2,089,033. |
| 2014 | Wmn America | Swinging Skirts Classic | Lake Merced GC | 276 (-12) | $270,000 |
| Played as the inaugural Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic (April 24-27). Second-placed Stacy Lewis (USA) finished 1 shot behind Ko (NZ), who recorded her third LPGA Tour win, in the week when she turned 17 years. [Lake Merced GC, San Francisco, CA]. |
| 2014 | Wmn America | Tour Championship (LPGA Tr) | Tiburon GC | 278 (-10) | $500,000 |
| Played as the CME Group Tour Championship (Nov 20-23; LPGA Tr season-ending event). Ko (NZ) beat Carlota Ciganda (Esp) with a par at the fourth playoff hole. Julieta Granada (Par) was eliminated with a bogey at the second playoff hole. [Gold course, Tiburón GC, Naples, FL]. |
| 2013 | Wmn America | Canadian Women's Open | Royal Mayfair | 265 (-15) | n/a |
| Played as the CN Canadian Women's Open. Second-placed Karine Icher (Fra) finished 5 shots behind defending champion Ko (NZ). 16-year old Ko became the first amateur to record two LPGA Tour wins, and first amateur to successfully defend a title on the Tour. [Royal Mayfair GC, Edmonton, Alberta]. |
| 2013 | Wmn Aus/NZ | New Zealand Women's Open | Clearwater Resort | 206 (-10) | amateur |
| Played as the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open (Feb 8-10; ALPG/LET Trs event). Second-placed Amelia Lewis (USA) finished 1 shot behind home-country winner Ko (NZ, amateur). Still an amateur, Ko recorded her third win in a top professional women's event. [Clearwater Resort, Christchurch, NZ]. |
| 2012 | Wmn America | Canadian Women's Open | Vancouver GC | 275 (-13) | n/a |
| Played as the CN Canadian Women's Open. At 15 yrs, 4 mths & 2 days, the Korean-born Ko (NZ, amateur), became the youngest ever winner on the US LPGA Tour. The $300,000 first prize went to second-placed Inbee Park (S Kor), who finished 3 shots behind Ko. [The Vancouver GC, Coquitlam, nr Vancouver, BC]. |
| 2012 | Wmn Aus/NZ | NSW Women's Open | Oatlands GC | 202 (-14) | amateur |
| Played as the Bing Lee Samsung Women's NSW Open (Jan 27-29; ALPG Tr event). Second-placed Becky Morgan (Wales) finished 4 shots behind Ko (NZ, amateur), who posted her first ALPG Tour win. [Oatlands GC, Oatlands, nr Sydney, NSW]. |
| 2012 | Wmn Amateur | US Amateur (Women) | Country Club, Cleveland | 3 & 1 | n/a |
| The US Women's Amateur Championship (112th). 15-year old Korean-born Ko (NZ), became the second youngest ever winner of the US Women's Amateur, beating Jaye Marie Green (USA) 3 and 1 in the final. [The Country Club, Pepper Pike, nr Cleveland, OH]. |
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