It seems women’s golf is getting younger and younger, and recently a milestone was achieved.  New Zealand’s Lydia Ko became the #1 player in the world, the youngest person to do so in either the men’s or women’s game, at the age of 17.  Ko’s ascent to the top has been quick, but unlike others who have had meteoric rises, she shows no signs of slowing down or disappearing from the radar anytime soon. Ko was born in South Korea as Bo-Gyung Ko, and she and her parents moved to New Zealand when she was six.  Although she had hit balls at driving ranges in Korea, Ko took up the game in earnest when she landed in her new home country.  She quickly became very proficient at the game, and at age 11 made it to the finals of the New Zealand National Amateur Golf Championship. Being the youngest to do something in golf is a hallmark of Ko’s career, and she was the youngest to win a professional event of any sort (age 13, 2011 Muriwai Ladies Open), professional tour event (age 14, 2012 New South Wales Open), and an LPGA Tour event (age 15, Canadian Women’s Open)…and, she did all of those as an amateur.  She turned professional in 2013 at the age of 16. In her second start as the #1 player, she won the Australian Women’s Open.  Lydia Ko is sure to be a star on the LPGA Tour for as long as she continues to play.
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