Player Profile - Lydia KO

Visit Newly Updated Profile Published in October 2022

Post by Golf Journalist - Nick Bonfield 

Over the past six months or so, a number of high-profile stories have dominated the golfing headlines: Rory McIlroy’s court case, Dustin Johnson’s ‘leave of absence’ and Tiger Woods’ woeful display in Phoenix and subsequent withdrawal from the Farmers Insurance Open, to name but a few. As the men’s game has teetered along with intermittent bouts of controversy, the women’s game has seen two truly sensational achievements that really haven’t ‘t attracted the credit they deserve: Charley Hull becoming the youngest player to win the Ladies European Tour Money List at the end of 2014, and Lydia Ko reaching the summit of the world rankings at the age of 17 – four years younger than anyone in either the men’s or women’s game. It’s the latter achievement I want to focus on today.

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I must admit I didn’t know a great deal about Ko until I did some research recently. I knew the headline statistics, and about her precociousness, but I didn’t truly appreciate the magnitude of her accomplishments since her aunt first persuaded her to pick up a golf club at the age of five. Amazingly, none of her natural talent was passed down through genealogy – in fact, neither her mum nor her dad had any interest in the sport before her exposure to golf in the early noughties.

Ko is truly in a league of her own in the women’s game and I just can’t see anyone coming close to replicating what she’s achieved. She’s not yet legally allowed to drink alcohol in the country of her birth (South Korea) and the nation where she currently resides (New Zealand) but she’s won 10 professional tournaments around the world. What’s arguably more impressive that her unprecedented ability is her incredible humility and level headedness. She just moves serenely from tournament to tournament, unfazed by her trail-blazing antics or her reputation as arguably the most gifted youngster across the entire sporting spectrum. In 2014, she was named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world – quite something for a female teenager who plays a sport often overlooked by the mainstream media.

Last week, she made it back-to-back victories with her triumph at the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open – a tournament she won two years previously. Her four-stroke success included a course record-beating and career-low round of 11-under-par 61 on day two, where she made nine birdies in a scintillating 10-hole run from the 4th. So far this season, she’s played four tournaments, notched four top 10s and won twice, and that figure could easily have been three. At the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Coates Championship, the New Zealander reached world number 1 but relinquished a four-shot final round advantage to finish in a tie for second. She didn’t sulk or lose her temper, though. She took it all in her stride – a statement that’s typified her entire career – and bounced back with two wins in a row. That represents maturity, perspective, character and ability all in one – a scary combination for her rivals.

So what does the future have in store? Based on her career to date, a whole lot more success. The most prolific female major winner of all time was Patty Berg, who won 15 titles. If Ko averages one a year for the next 15 years (bearing in mind there are five women’s majors) she’d reach that landmark at the age of 32. Of course, a lot can happen in that time, but the way she’s risen to every single challenge in her life makes me think that Ko is destined for ultimate greatness. Not convinced? Perhaps reeling off a list of her previous accomplishments will add further weight to my argument….

• Competes at the New Zealand National Amateur Championship at the age of 7.
• Wins the North Island Women’s U19 Championship at the age of 11.
• Wins her first professional event – the New Zealand Women’s Open – at the age of 12, plus claims victory in the New Zealand U23 Championship.
• Reaches number 1 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and reigns supreme at the Australian Women’s Stroke Play and New Zealand Women’s Stroke Play Championships, aged 13.
• Comes first in the ALPGA Tour’s New South Wales Women’s Open in 2012, becoming the youngest-ever winner of a professional event.
• That year, wins both the Australian Women’s Amateur and US Women’s amateur (aged 14 and 15) and is low amateur at the US Women’s Open.
• Also in 2012, her most prolific to date, wins the CN Canadian Women’s Open to become the youngest-ever winner of an LPGA Tour event.
• Wins the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open in 2013 (you guessed it, to become the youngest winner of a Ladies European Tour event) and breaks the tournament scoring record during her defence of the Canadian Women’s Open. In the process, becomes the first amateur to win two LPGA Tour events.
• In 2013, the LPGA Tour waives its minimum-age requirements and allows Ko to join the circuit.
• In her rookie season, in 2014, Ko wins three tournaments, including the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. That year, she earns more than $2m and wins the rookie of the year accolade.
• In January 2015, goes to the top of the Rolex Rankings after her 2nd-place finish at the Coates Championship.
• Wins the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open and the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open in back-to-back weeks, extending her lead over Inbee Park at the top of the world ranking to 1.41 points.

Re-read the above section and really take it in. I know, she’s only 17 years of age. It’s quite incredible. She looks poised to land her first major this season, and if she does, who knows how many she could go on to win. She’s not just a phenomenal golfer but an extraordinary human being, and someone who could be miles clear atop the women’s world ranking at the end of the season. Lydia, we salute you.

Image credit - LPGA Facebook Page