Golfer Lydia Ko Biography and Career Details LPGA Rookie of the Year, 2014 Quote, Unquote Lydia Ko: "I have to work hard, which sometimes can be boring but the end result makes me smile." (As quoted by harbourgolf.co.nz) Trivia In 2011 Ko became the first golfer to win both the Australian Women's Stroke Play and the New Zealand Women's Stroke Play championships in the same year. Ko is the youngest golfer, male or female, to win a professional event on a significant pro tour (one that awards world ranking points). Ko was 14 years old when she won the Bing Lee Samsung Women's NSW Open near Sydney, Australia, an event on the ALPG Tour. continue reading below our video 10 Best Teams in the History of Baseball In 2012, at age 15, Ko became the youngest-ever winner on the LPGA Tour, claiming the trophy at the CN Canadian Women's Open. Ko, in 2013, became the first New Zealand golfer to win the New Zealand Women's Open and, at age 15, the youngest-ever winner in an LET tournament.

In 2014, Ko was the winner of the first-ever Race to the CME Globe , a seasonlong points chase introduced that year by the LPGA. She claimed it with a victory in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship . Ko earned $500,000 for the tournament win and $1 million for the points win - a total $1.5 million payday that was the largest in tour history to that point. When she won the 2015 LPGA Taiwan Championship, Ko became the youngest golfer ever, male or female, to reach 10 tour wins . Lydia Ko Biography Lydia Ko was born in Korea, but at age 4 her parents moved the family to New Zealand, and Ko represents New Zealand in international competitions. You'd expect that a golfing phenom was born to parents who were golf fanatics themselves, but neither of Ko's parents played the game. Instead, it was an aunt in Australia who introduced little Lydia to the sport. She began playing golf at age 5. Ko took to golf immediately, and improved so quickly that by age 8 she was already competing in the under-19 division at junior golf tournaments.

Her first significant tournament victory happened at age 11 when she won the 2009 North Island Women's U19 Championship in New Zealand. It was in 2010 that Ko really started gaining notice. She won the New Zealand U23 and was low amateur at the New Zealand Women's Open (tied for seventh) that year, plus represented New Zealand in the World Team Amateur Championships. In 2011, at age 13, Ko became the first golfer to pull off the Aussie-Kiwi stroke play double, winning both the Australian Women's Stroke Play and New Zealand Women's Stroke Play titles. And she very nearly won a significant professional tournament, the New South Wales Women's Open on the ALPG Tour. Ko led by one with one hole to play, but 3-putted the final green to lose by a stroke. Ko reached No. 1 in the world amateur rankings in 2011, and looked ready to hold that spot for some time to come. For example, a year after blowing the NSW Women's Open, Ko rectified that mistake by winning the same tournament in 2012.

At age 14, she became the youngest winner of a pro tournament on a significant professional tour. Also in 2012, Ko won both the Australian Women's Amateur and U.S. Women's Amateur championships. By the time she reached the U.S. Am, Ko had turned 15, and she was the second-youngest winner ever of that trophy. She also played in her first professional major in 2012, the U.S. Women's Open , finishing as low amateur. Following her victory at the U.S. Women's Amateur, Ko said she was in no rush to turn pro, planned to remain an amateur for the forseeable future, and wanted to attend college. "There are so many things to learn as an amateur," Ko said. "Some people say, 'oh, do you want to go professional?' And I'm like, no, I want to go to college." Two weeks later Ko won the 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open , becoming the youngest-ever winner on the LPGA Tour. Even after that, she reiterated her plans: "I'll still remain an amateur and then finish high school and then go to college," she said.

In 2013, Ko won her national open, the ISPS Handa NZ Women's Open, a tournament cosanctioned by the Ladies European Tour and the ALPG. She became, at age 15, the youngest-ever winner of an LET event, plus the first New Zealander to win the New Zealand Women's Open. And back at the Canadian Women's Open in 2013, Ko repeated as champion with a tournament-record score. In so doing, she became the first amateur to win two LPGA Tour events. Later in 2013, Ko announced she was turning pro, and in October of 2013 the LPGA waived its minimum-age requirement, allowing Ko to join the tour in 2014. She made her debut as a pro golfer at the 2013 LPGA CME Titleholders, finishing 21st. In her second event as a pro - the KLPGA co-sponsored Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters - Ko won.

Ko's first season as an LPGA Tour member was 2014, and her first win that year happened at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic three days after her 17th birthday. In 2015, after two wins earlier in the year, Ko won her first major, the Evian Championship . In so doing, she became the youngest-ever winner of a women's major. Lydia Ko Bio Best Scoring Average for a year: 69.44 (2015) Best Season money total: $2,800,802 (2015) Best Season Money Position: 1st (2015) Most Top Tens/Season: 17 (2015) Post-Season Awards: Player of the Year (2015), Rookie of the Year (2014) Rookie of the Year Finish: Won it!

Height: 5' 5" 2017 LPGA Status: Category 1 Nicknames: None Known How's her English?: Fluent Road to the LPGA: Earned tour card by winning 2013 CN Canadian Women's Open and getting a special exemption to enter tour before age 18. Capsule Bio Lydia Ko was born in South Korea, and moved to New Zealand with her family when she was 6 years old. She had hit balls in Korea on practice ranges, but took up the game in earnest upon arriving in her new home. Within a few years, she became one of the top junior golfers in New Zealand. In 2009, Lydia lost in the finals of the New Zealand National Amateur Golf Championship, losing to fellow Korean expatriate teenager Cecilia Cho in the final. Ko continued to stun people everywhere with her talent in 2010. As a 12 year old she finished tied for 7th at the New Zealand Women's Golf Championship, just five shots behind winner Laura Davies. In April, she helped lead New Zealand to a second place finish at the Sirikit Cup, an important team event. She finished 4th in the individual standings.

Ko's star continued to rise in 2011. She came agonizingly close to winning a professional event on the ALPG in January. She was leading with one hole to go but missed a three foot par putt on the final hole to lose by one shot. Had she won, at age 13, she would have broken the record for youngest girl to win a professional golf event by THREE YEARS. At the LET's New Zealand Women's Golf Championship, she bettered her 2010 performance by finishing fourth, and finished tied for 12th at the Handa Australian Masters, another LET event. Articles Galleries Seoul Sisters Pix By March she rose to the #3 women's world amateur ranking. At this point, her rivalry with good friend Cecilia Cho heated up. Ko claimed the Australian Stroke Play title by beating Cho in a two hole playoff, but lost the Australian Amateur Match Play in the quarterfinals. Ko then won the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship, beating Cho by 9 shots. This event set up the draw for the New Zealand Match Play Championship, which once again ended up being a final matchup between Cho and Ko.

And once again, Ko triumphed, beating her friend 4 and 3 in the final despite the fact Cho had won the event the two previous years. This allowed Ko to rise to #1 in the amateur rankings, knocking Cho down to #2. Ko became the first woman to ever hold both the Australian and New Zealand Stroke Play titles in the same year. In May, Ko also won the Muriwai Ladies Open, beating a field of pros and amateurs. She then launched her first effort to play in the big European and American amateur events. She lost early in the British Women's Amateur, but claimed the co-medalist honors at the US Women's Amateur before falling in the second round of match play. Ko then had an operation to fix an ailing wrist, and missed six weeks of action while she recovered. But in early 2012, it did not take her long to get back to her winning ways. In January, she won the Australian Women's (Match Play) Amateur. She is believed to be the first woman to EVER hold the Australian Women's Match Play + Stroke Play titles and the New Zealand Amateur Stroke play and Match Play titles all at the same time.

That's an extraordinary accomplishment for anyone, let alone a 14 year old. And yet, Ko was just getting warmed up. The next week, she attended the NSW Open on the ALPG. The previous year she had come within one stroke of rewriting the record books when she finished second here. This time, she left nothing to chance. In the second round, she shot a blistering 64 to take a four shot lead. In the final round, despite strenuous pressure from professional Lindsey Wright, Ko never wavered, and won the tournament easily by four. She thus became the youngest person to ever win a professional golf event, anywhere in the world, breaking the record held by Ryo Ishikawa of Japan, who was 15 when he won his first pro title. She also crushed the women's record held by Amy Yang, who had won the ANZ Ladies Masters as a 16 year old in 2006. There had been only a couple of press people covering the win, but as news of her achievement got out, Ko was swamped with media attention.

As it turned out, she was playing the very next week at the RACV Australian Ladies Masters, as was another teen superstar in the making, Alexis Thompson. Ko had never met Thompson before, and the promoters wasted no time in pairing the two for the first two rounds of the Masters. Ko's goal was to simply make the cut, but she wound up in the top 20 most of the week before fading a bit on Sunday to finish tied for 32nd. A week later, she managed an 18th at the ISPS Handa Australian Women's Open, her first ever LPGA event. She was also the low amateur at this event. It was a foreshadowing of what was to come. Lydia Ko's summer of 2012 ranks as one of the most amazing stretches of golf anyone has ever played. Simply put, she put one remarkable performance after another together, culminating in a record shattering appearance at the Women's Canadian Open in August. The fun started when she traveled to the States to play in her first Major, the US Women's Open.

She had qualified for the event by being the top amateur in the world, and for much of the week, she was easily the top amateur in the field. She struggled mightily on her final three holes and almost gave the low amateur crown away, but she still held on, finishing tied for 39th. Next she played at the US Girls Junior Championship. She made it all the way to the semifinals, where she lost to American Alison Lee. A few weeks after that she played at the US Women's Amateur, arguably the most important amateur event in the women's game. Lydia finished runner-up in the stroke play portion (Hyo Joo Kim won that, but lost in the second round of Match Play). In Match play, she worked her way through the field, meeting the second ranked amateur in the world, Ariya Jutanugarn, in an epic semifinal clash. Ko downed the Thai teen, then beat American Jaye Marie Green in the final 2 and 1. Ko became the second youngest in history, behind Korean American Kimberly Kim, to ever win this title. And amazingly, she had an even bigger coup in store after that!

Two weeks after the Amateur win, Ko was in the field at the LPGA's CN Canadian Women's Open in Vancouver, British Columbia. Ko played well the first two days, hung tough through some dicey play on Saturday, and found herself in the lead with 18 holes to go. On Sunday, playing with Major winners Jiyai Shin and Stacey Lewis, Ko dug deep, but still was caught by the turn. It was at that point that she kicked into another gear, producing one of the most dazzling displays of golfing excellence in LPGA history. She put the hammer down, making four straight birdies to blow past the field of Major winners and grab the historic three shot win. She was the youngest player (by more than a year) to ever win an LPGA event at just a little over fifteen years of age, shattering the record by Lexi Thompson that had been set just the previous year. She also became the first amateur in over forty years to win on the LPGA tour, and just the fifth in history. The last amateur who won, Joanne Carner, was nearly twice Ko's age when she did it. And Ko beat a field containing almost all the best women's golfers in the world.

It was an insanely brilliant performance that catapulted the teenager into the mainstream press. Golf Channel, not known for in depth LPGA coverage, devoted the first 20 minutes of their Golf Central show to Ko's triumph before they got to the PGA tour results. The next month, Lydia played at her second LPGA Major, the Ricoh Women's British Open. In the terrible weather at Hoylake, Ko once again earned low amateur status, finishing tied for 17th. She next showed up at the Women's World Amateur Team Championship, also known as the Esprito Santo Cup, representing New Zealand. Although Korea (headed by Hyo Joo Kim) won the team trophy, Ko won the individual honors, dusting the rest of the field by six strokes. Ko played in the Swinging Skirts event in Taiwan at the end of the year. She finished tied for 26th. After Christmas break, she returned to action at the Australian Women's Amateur, where she was defending champion. But she bowed out early in match play, and the event was won by Korean Australian star Minjee Lee (who had won the US Girls Junior in 2012).

The next week, she was back to defend another title at the New South Wales Open. She gave it a great effort, and found herself in a duel at the end with 2011 champion Caroline Hedwall and Minjee Lee. Ko made a masterful par save on the 16th hole on Sunday, but made a fatal mistake off the tee on 17, and Hedwall won the event with Ko finishing second and Lee third. Ko didn't have to wait long for another shot at a pro trophy. Just two weeks later she was back in action at the New Zealand Women's Open. She had come close to winning this event several times, but neither she nor any New Zealander had ever taken the title. But in 2013, Ko started well, finishing the first round within a shot of the lead. She had a share of the round 2 lead with Korean Seon Woo Bae, who shot a course record 64 just to catch her. In the final round, Ko was severely challenged by several players, losing the lead several times, but she hung tough, sinking a par on the final hole for a one shot victory.

This was her third pro win in a little more than a year, and she was still not even 16 years old. Simply incredible! She also became the youngest winner in the history of the Ladies European Tour, beating the record once held by Korean Amy Yang. The next week, Ko was back in action at the LPGA's season opening event, the Australian Women's Open. Playing with world #1 Ya Ni Tseng, she shot a mid-boggling 10 under par 63 in the opening round. She contended for the rest of the week before being beaten in the end by Korean superstar Jiyai Shin. Ko finished third behind Tseng and Shin. Ko had a great year playing LPGA events. She played in all five Majors in 2013 and was low amateur in all but one. She only contended at one of them, the Evian Championship, but there she was in a dog fight the whole final round with Suzann Pettersen, finishing second only to that Norwegian player in the end. The previous month, she successfully defended her CN Canadian Women's Open win of 2012, but on a completely different course.

Once again she found herself battling with Pettersen for the title, but unlike in France, it was Ko who walked off with the win, in that case a five shot romp. By the time she finished second at the Evian, her professional world ranking had risen to 4th, and she had left more than a million dollars on the table. It was apparent she would soon have to turn pro; she had not played an amateur event since January. She did just that in October, announcing her new status via a You Tube video. Soon after that, the LPGA accepted her petition to waive the 18 year old age limit for Ko, allowing her to join the tour in 2014 as a 16-year-old rookie. Not too long after that, the endorsement deals started rolling in, including one for ANZ Bank and another rumored one with Calloway Golf. Ko also controversially left her longtime coach Guy Wilson to go with David Leadbetter. Whether that was a wise move will remain to be seen. Meanwhile, it did not take Ko long to establish herself as a pro. Her first event was the CME TitleHolders, where she finished 21st.

But her next try came in December at the Swinging Skirts. Paired with world #1 Inbee Park and world #5 So Yeon Ryu in the final group, she outplayed them both to take the trophy, with Ryu second and Park third. It was her first win as a pro and fifth professional title overall. To no one's surprise, Lydia had a fantastic rookie debut on the LPGA tour. 2014 actually started with a surprise loss to Mi Hyang Lee at the New Zealand Women's Open (not an LPGA event). Ko started her LPGA career not long after that., notching two top tens and two top 20s in her first four events. She nearly won the Founders Cup, her 5th event, but didn't have to wait much longer before getting her first win as an LPGA member at the Swinging Skirts (an event she also won when it was in Taiwan; but now it was in San Francisco and an official LPGA event). A few months after that she won the Marathon Classic, but her biggest win came at the end of the year when she captured the CME Group Tour Championship in a playoff.

That win was worth $1.5 million, because she not only won the $500K first prize but also the bonus for getting the most points in the CME competition throughout the year, worth a cool million (unofficial) dollars. Needless to say, Ko easily won the Rookie of the Year award. She finished the year slightly ahead of Stacy Lewis as the #2 golfer in the world. She made over $2 million on the LPGA (the most ever made by a rookie), notched three wins and 15 top tens, and nearly broke 70 in scoring average. Altogether amazing! And she still has not missed a cut in any pro event ever, which is insanely consistent. Ko had an even more amazing second season on the LPGA than her rookie year. She won five tournaments during the year, including the final Major, the Evian Championship. Her win there, by shooting a final round 63, made her the youngest woman to ever win a Major on the LPGA tour. She also became the youngest to ascend to the number one ranking, a spot she held at two different times in 2015.

Her money total, over $2.8 million, is the highest money total ever won in a single season by a Korean born golfer. She thus became the youngest player to ever lead the LPGA money list. Ko also managed to edge out Inbee Park by two points to capture the Player of the Year, again making her the youngest to get that award. It was close; Park held the lead much of the year. Then, Ko went on a late season tear, winning the Canadian Women's Open in a playoff (her third win at that event, and second in Vancouver). She followed that with the Evian win in her next start, barely missed winning in Malaysia, finished tied for 4th in Korea at the Hana Bank, then won the Fubon in Taiwan. But Inbee struck back, winning the Ochoa Invitational to move to within three Player of the Year points of Ko. Ko finished behind Park at the final event of the year, but close enough to maintain her lead and win the Player of the Year. Ko also finished second to Park in the scoring average, thus just missing adding the Vare Trophy to her haul.

Again, it was thanks to Inbee's last two events that she was able to top KO in that category. She also won the million dollar bonus at the CME Group Tour Championship. Ko also won the New Zealand Women's Open, an LET event, early in the year. Ko had another phenomenal season in 2016, although she ended the year with an unusually weak stretch of golf that saw her revising her approach for 2017. She spent the entire year at #1, and once her chief rival Inbee Park was hit with multiple injuries, no one seriously threatened her throne all year. Ko started the year on an absolute roll. She notched top threes in three of her first four starts and won the Women's New Zealand Open on the LET. She then won the Kia Classic and followed that up with another win at the ANA Inspiration for her second straight Major victory. That one was close all day, as both she and In Gee Chun were not playing well but still managing to save par after par. Ariya Jutanugarn took the lead and looked poised to win when she dumped her drive on the final hole into the water.

A few minutes later, Ko hit her third shot right next to the hole and tapped in for birdie, claiming a one shot win over Chun and Jutanugarn. Lydia had a mediocre run the next couple of months, while Ariya won three straight in May. They reached the year's second Major, the KPMG, with Ariya looking to make it four straight, while Ko looked to win her third Major in a row. It all came down to the final few holes. Ariya fell just short, and Ko missed a crucial short birdie on 17, which forced her into a playoff with Brooke Henderson. Henderson hit a great approach on the playoff hole and won her first Major, while Ko had to settle for second. Ko wasn't done winning, though. She grabbed two more titles in Arkansas and Ohio. She also was in great position to win the US Women's Open, taking a third round lead. But she made a major mistake on the ninth hole and fell to a tie for third. Still, her three great 2016 Majors insured she would win the Annika Award for best record in the Majors for 2016.

Ko struggled at the Women's British Open, but that proved to be a temporary setback. She played great at the Olympics shortly thereafter, and was in the final group on Sunday with old rival Inbee. But Park was unstoppable, and Ko had to settle for the silver medal. Entering the year's final Major, the Evian, Ko was in the lead in all the major LPGA award categories: money list, Player of the Year, scoring average. But at that point, she began to struggle. Not only did she not win again in 2016, she would only make one top ten, and that was a tenth place finish. Jutanugarn would win Player of the Year and win the money list title, while In Gee Chun managed to beat Ko on the final hole of the year to capture the Vare Trophy. Ko responded by firing her caddie and coach and changing clubs for 2017. It remains to be seen whether her slight slump is a sign of a more serious problem, or if she will return to her usual form fairly soon in 2017.

Lydia Ko’s Latest Caddie Lands the Top Gig - Golf, News, Sport - NZEDGE View article source Lydia Ko’s Latest Caddie Lands the Top Gig Lydia Ko’s search for the right caddie has been an intriguing storyline for the media throughout her short span on the LPGA Tour, but it appears Australian bag man Jason Hamilton, for the foreseeable future at least, has landed the top gig. The 17-year-old New Zealander auditioned eight caddies throughout her rookie season, an understandable game plan given she had not seen many of the courses on the largely US-based top flight tour and was still trying to figure out what type of traits she wanted in an on-course helper. The dynamic between Ko and Hamilton seemed natural and relaxed recently as the pair tuned up for this month’s pro-am at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club ahead of the start to the LPGA-sanctioned Australian Open. Hamilton was within ear shot of his player when this reporter relayed Ko’s playful comments about his “bad jokes”. Hamilton once caddied for another record-breaker, former world No.1 Yani Tseng, who was the youngest player ever to win five major championships.

In Ko’s first year on the LPGA Tour, she won three times and had 12 other top-10 finishes. Her success at such a young age is unprecedented. And, as Ko said at Royal Melbourne, “this is only the start”. Original article by: Matt Murnane, Brisbane Times, February 18, 2015 Image source: Wikimeida.org Lydia Ko's caddie laughing all the way to the bank Lydia Ko's caddie laughing all the way to the bank Matt Murnane More As a comedian, Lydia Ko reckons Australia's Jason Hamilton makes a good caddie. As the bag man for the youngest world No.1 in golf history, Hamilton does everything as well as you would expect a caddy worthy of that position would do it. SHARE Lydia Ko of New Zealand. Photo: Getty Images Ko uses all of his skills and experience – he reads putts, takes yardage, lines her up, helps with shot selection, and if the results are any guide, he does it all at an elite level. But there is something else Hamilton does on the course that his 17-year-old boss values above all else.

"You can get mad when you make a silly mistake, but I like how Jason makes some dumb jokes or, I guess, some sarcastic sentences and it kind of makes me wonder 'what the hell is he talking about?" Ko joked on Wednesday. "But it makes me get over quickly what just happened," she said. Advertisement "So in a way, bad jokes are kind of my criteria." Ko's search for the right caddie has been an intriguing storyline for the media throughout her short span on the LPGA Tour, but it appears Victorian bag man Hamilton, for the foreseeable future at least, has landed the top gig. The New Zealander auditioned eight caddies throughout her rookie season, an understandable game plan given she had not seen many of the courses on the largely US-based top flight tour and was still trying to figure out what type of traits she wanted in an on-course helper. The dynamic between Ko and Hamilton seemed natural and relaxed this week as the pair tuned up for Wednesday's pro-am at Royal Melbourne ahead of Thursday's start to the LPGA-sanctioned Australian Open. Hamilton was within ear shot of his player when this reporter relayed Ko's playful comments about his "bad jokes".

With a smile and turning one eye to Ko, Hamilton responded: "That's just because she's a Kiwi, she doesn't understand good humour. "All my good jokes are wasted on her, I think," he said. Then, more seriously, Hamilton continued: "That's kind of part of my job, to keep her relaxed. If they're getting pissed off or whatever, it's part of my job to try and make them laugh and remind them that it's just a game and that mistakes are going to happen. "It's more important how you deal with those mistakes," he said. It is a relationship that began officially two months ago, but had its origins in the US where the pair live in close proximity to each other in Orlando. Through a friendship with Ko's manager, Hamilton and the barrier-breaking teenager developed a connection and for the Australian, it was an offer "too good to pass up". And his credentials weren't exactly a hard sell to Ko, either. Hamilton once caddied for another record-breaker, former world No.1 Yani Tseng, who was the youngest player ever to win five major championships.

It puts Hamilton as well placed as anyone to help Ko - predicted to be the sport's next transcendent star – deal with the pressures of having the world at her feet. It is a role he understands and takes seriously, even though he downplays his influence. "My job is pretty easy," he said. "When you just have to tell someone to hit it to a certain spot and they do it every time, like she does, it's not that hard." Should the Ko-Hamilton partnership remain a long-term deal, the Australian is in for a hell of a ride. Even if Ko retires at 30, which she says she will, there are still a lot of major titles and a lot of money available in that time for a player with her freakish gifts and will to win. A lot happens in Ko's life in just one year, let alone the 13 she has left before she turns 30. At last year's Australian Open, she left the impression of a girl who would one day soon be the full package, but wasn't quite yet. This year, as soon as she walked into the media room, she looked like a superstar. She had a different appearance and sound.

The trademark glasses were gone, and she spoke with a noticeably American accent, more confident and polished. In her first year on the LPGA Tour, she won three times and had 12 other top-10 finishes. Her success at such a young age is unprecedented. And, as Ko said on Wednesday, "this is only the start". Advertisement Golf Glance Golf Glance Golf Glance Golf Glance Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the Nation's Conversation To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Golf Glance AP 10:50 a.m. ET Feb. 17, 2015 All Times EST Course: The Riviera Country Club (7,349 yards, par 71). Purse: $6.7 million. Winner's share: $1,206,000.

Television: Golf Channel (Thursday, 5-8 p.m., 8:30-11:30 p.m.; Friday, 2-5 a.m., 5-8 p.m., 8:30-11:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2-5 a.m., 1-2:30 p.m., 6:30-9 p.m.; Sunday, 2-5:30 a.m., 1-2:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.; Monday, 1:30-6 a.m.) and CBS (Saturday, 3-6 p.m.; Sunday, 3-6:30 p.m.). Last year: Bubba Watson shot 64-64 on the weekend to beat Dustin Johnson by two strokes. Watson also won the Masters and WGC-HSBC Champions last year. Last week: Brandt Snedeker won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am for the second time in three years, beating Nick Watney by three strokes.

Snedeker finished at 22-under 265 to break his own scoring record in the tournament. Notes: Watson, Johnson and Snedeker are in the field along with Jimmy Walker, Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia, Bill Haas, Hunter Mahan, Ernie Els, Fred Couples and Jim Furyk. ... Haas won the 2012 tournament. He won the Humana Challenge last month in La Quinta. ... Couples is making his record 33rd start in the event. He won in 1990 and 1992. ... Wake Forest freshman Will Zalatoris won the inaugural Northern Trust Open Collegiate Showcase on Monday to earn a spot in the field. The 2014 U.S. Junior champion shot 4-under 67. ... Ben Hogan won three times at the course in a 17-month span, taking the 1947 and '48 Los Angeles Opens and '48 U.S. Open. ... The Honda Classic is next week in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Online: LPGA TOUR/LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR/AUSTRALIAN LADIES PROFESSIONAL GOLF WOMEN'S AUSTRALIAN OPEN Course: Royal Melbourne Golf Club (6,741 yards, par 72). Purse: $1.2 million. Winner's share: $180,000. Television: Golf Channel (Wednesday, 11 p.m.-2 a.m.; Thursday-Friday, 11:30 p.m.-2 a.m., 1:30-4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 3-6 p.m., 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sunday, 3-6:30 p.m.). Last year: Australia's Karrie Webb won at Victoria Golf Club for her record fifth victory in the event. South Korea's Chella Choi was second, a stroke back. Last event: South Korean rookie Sei Young Kim won the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic on Feb. 8 for her first LPGA Tour title. She birdied the first hole of a playoff with countrywoman Sun Young Yoo and Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn.

Notes: Lydia Ko is making her second start since taking the top spot in the world ranking. The 17-year-old New Zealander has five LPGA Tour victories. ... Australia's Su Oh won the Australian Ladies Masters on Sunday at Royal Pines in her second start as a professional. The 18-year-old Oh was second two weeks ago in the Victorian Open. ... Jessica Korda won the 2012 tournament at Royal Melbourne. ... The Honda LPGA Thailand is next week, followed by the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore. Online: Australian Ladies Professional Golf site: Ladies European Tour site: ___ Course: Delhi Golf Club, Lodhi Course (6,923 yards, par 71). Purse: $1.5 million. Winner's share: $250,000. Television: Golf Channel (Thursday, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Friday, 5-7 a.m., 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Saturday, 5:30-9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 5:30-10 a.m.).

Last event: Bangladesh's Siddikur Rahman won the Asian Tour event in December 2013. India's Anirban Lahiri and S.S.P. Chawrasia were a stroke back. Last week: Australia's Andre Dodt won the Thailand Classic, beating countryman Scott Hend and local favorite Thongchai Jaidee by a stroke. Notes: The tournament is part of the European Tour for the first time. ... Lahiri, Chawrasia, Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa, Rashid Khan and Shiv Kapur top the Indian contingent. Lahiri won the Malaysian Open two weeks ago. Randhawa won the national championship in 2000, 2006 and 2007. ... Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez is in the field. He won a Champions Tour event last month in Hawaii. ... The Joburg Open is next week in South Africa. Online: CHAMPIONS TOUR Next event: Tucson Conquistadores Classic, March 20-22, Omni Tucson National, Tucson, Arizona. Last week: Lee Janzen won the ACE Group Classic in Naples, Florida, for his first Champions Tour title.

He beat Bart Bryant with a par on the first hole of a playoff. Online: WEB.COM TOUR Next event: Karibana Championship, March 5-8, TPC Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia. Last event: Former Stanford star Patrick Rodgers won the Colombia Championship on Feb. 8 for his first pro title. He beat Steve Marino with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff. Online: OTHER TOURNAMENTS MEN SUNSHINE TOUR: Dimension Data Pro-Am, Thursday-Sunday, Fancourt, Montagu Golf Course, Outeniqua Golf Course, The Links Golf Course, George, South Africa. Online: PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA: Queensland PGA Championship, Thursday-Sunday, City Golf Club, Toowoomba, Australia. Online: WOMEN 1 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN COMMENTEMAILMORE Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. NEVER MISS OUT Sports Stay in the know and in the zone, 7 days a week, with scores, analysis, and in-depth features and commentary.

Lydia Ko Reaches the Pinnacle of Women's Golf at age 17 - USGolfTV Updated: February 3, 2015 02/03/2015 Lydia Ko the teen wunderkind faced a number of difficult predicaments during the inaugural Coates Gold Championship. Late this past Saturday, she took the lead back, but on Sunday, double bogeyed her 71st hole to finish second to Na Yeon Choi. Nevertheless, Ko at the tender age of just 17, made history that will likely be remembered much longer that her double-bogey on 17 to lose the season opener. The transplanted New Zealander, who is originally from South Korea, became the world’s youngest player of either gender to reach No. 1 in the world. She broke the previous record set by Tiger Woods by nearly four years. Ko’s ascent to No. 1 seemed just a matter of time after she won her first title on the LPGA while still a 15-year old amateur. She was the youngest to ever win a title on the tour. She turned professional after the 2013 season.

Ko moved from South Korea as a youngster and unseated former No. 1 Inbee Park. No. 2 ranked Park said Ko is likely the straightest player on Tour, which makes golf much easier. Ko until just recently was attending Pinehurst School on the North Shore of Auckland. Ko might be No. 1 today, but her grip to the world’s No. 1 spot is tenuous to say the least. The official world rankings were released on Monday and the New Zealander is at No. 1 by the slimmest of margins over Park. Ko’s point total moved up to 9.70 after finishing second on Sunday at the Coates championship. Park trails Ko by just 0.003 at 9.67, after she finished 14th in the same tournament on Sunday. While Ko is sure to spend a great deal of time at No. 1 during her professional career, her initial reign could end in just a week. The tour will be in the Bahamas this week and depending upon where both Ko and Park are able to finish, the world ranking could easily revert back to Park.

Ko has also opted to play later in February at the New Zealand Women’s Open which could hurt her world ranking. There are fewer rankings points offered at the Ladies European Tour event compared to the Thailand tournament on the LPGA tour the same weekend. Ko opted to play in New Zealand to support her national open, which will be played in Christchurch. Even though she is just 17, this will be her sixth consecutive year playing the New Zealand Women’s Open. Stacey Lewis is No. 3 in the world. The American has 8.83 points than fourth place drops to 6.40 and is held by Shanshan Feng of China. Ko’s number of events are much less that the other players ranked in the top-5 since she did not start playing full time on the tour until 2014. David Anicetti ( 85 Posts ) A former athlete at the college level who now looks at sports from a different perspective, but with the knowledge of what it takes to be an athlete. David is a freelance writer who started his career in 1994 as the publisher and executive editor for his own company in Guatemala City.

In 2000, he started his own sports publication in Guatemala covering soccer, baseball and golf. David has written for a number of sports websites ranging from golf to collegiate football to European Soccer, the NFL to the NBA, South American soccer to Major League baseball and more. Lydia Ko wins down under, sets another ‘youngest ever’ record - SBNation.com Lydia Ko wins down under, sets another ‘youngest ever’ record Rec Michael Dodge/Getty Images This may be getting old for Lydia Ko’s LPGA opponents, but the top-ranked player in the world smashed yet another record Sunday at Royal Melbourne when the 17-year-old became the youngest golfer to win the Women’s Australian Open. With a week-long tally of 9-under, The South Korean-born New Zealander captured her ninth worldwide career win before the age of 18, so it was just another day in the life of the youngest golfer of either gender to attain the No. 1 ranking. Setting records is becoming as second-nature to Ko as making game-winning eagles. A holed-out deuce on the par-4 15th helped her gain a share of the 36-hole lead Friday.

A pitch shot that found the bottom of the cup on the par-4 third in the finale Sunday launched her on her way to her sixth tour victory. "The first two holes I three-putted and you really don’t want to start on that kind of a note, especially on the final day when you know you need to play really well. That third hole really kicked off well," Ko said after carding a final-round 2-under 71. "It was great and it really helped my round." To recap, the youngest-ever world No. 1 made history with that achievement and now holds a poker hand full of such marks: Youngest, at 14, to win a professional event (2012 New South Wales Open) Youngest, at 15, to win an LPGA event (2012 Canadian Women’s Open) Youngest Rookie of the Year (2014) Youngest (and first player) to hit the jackpot and win the $1 million bonus that came with winning the inaugural Race to the CME Globe (2014) Unbelievable. So happy for @Lko424 . Now put that bottle of champagne in the cellar for another four years!

— Chad Coleman (@HashtagChad) November 23, 2014 Ko, whose CME Globe earnings also made her the youngest tour player to become a millionaire, strengthened her three-week hold on the top spot in the Rolex Rankings with her first win as No. 1. "I didn’t really know how I would play and how I would react to becoming world number one," said Ko, who leapfrogged Inbee Park for the pole position. "Sometimes I got close and I was still world number two, three or four and then after Ocala [season-opening Coates Golf Championship], I couldn’t pull off the win but then I became world number one. "I played average in the first two days in the [Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic], but then I fired back," Ko add. "It’s good to know that just from my confidence that I can still play good and not really think about the world rankings." Before heading to Singapore for the HSBC Women's Champions, Ko will tee it up at home in next week’s New Zealand Women's Open, which she won as an amateur in 2013. "My sister’s here, my mum’s here, my agent’s here. We’ll have hopefully good food.

Just being able to go home is a big thing," Ko said. "I won in Naples last year and I got to go home and here I get to win and then go home too, that’s the biggest prize." Next Up In Golf Lydia Ko extends points lead as women's golf world No 1 | Stuff.co.nz Lydia Ko extends points lead as women's golf world No 1 FRED WOODCOCK Last updated 08:39, February 10 2015 Getty Images Women's golf world No 1 New Zealander Lydia Ko. Lydia Ko has extended her points lead in the women's golf world rankings despite finishing behind the nearest challenger for top spot, Inbee Park, at the LPGA Tour's Bahamas Classic. The 17-year-old New Zealander, who claimed the No 1 ranking from Park last week, extended her ranking points average from 9.70 to 9.76 on the back of a tie for seventh in the Bahamas yesterday, her second top-10 finish to start the new season.

Meanwhile, South Korea's Park, whose second stint as world No 1 lasted 14 weeks before she was toppled by Ko in the season-opening event in Florida, dropped from 9.67 to 9.51 points despite finishing ahead of Ko in a tie for fifth in the Bahamas. Confused? The rankings calculations are complex and share the established men's ranking philosophy of awarding points based on the field, and evaluate a player's performance over a rolling two-year period weighted in favour of the current year, with even more importance placed on the most recent 13 weeks. The upshot is Ko will hold top spot for at least three weeks now, with no tournament scheduled this week. The next event is the Australian Open in Melbourne, starting on February 19. Ko avoided joining Japan's Ai Miyazato and American Cristie Kerr as joint holders of the shortest reign in No 1 spot. Both players had two separate stints of just one week as world No 1 in 2010, a year in which the No 1 ranking changed an incredible nine times.

The great Mexican player, Lorena Ochoa, holds the record for the longest reign at the top since the ranking system was introduced in 2006 - 158 consecutive weeks between 2007 and 2010. LPGA TOUR TOP FIVE Classy Ko's cash offering - Golf Australia Classy Ko's cash offering by Mark Hayes Lydia Ko celebrates her win with the Royal Melbourne staff Royal Melbourne chief executive Paul Rak has seen most things in golf, but this even blew him away. In the euphoric aftermath of Lydia Ko’s ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open victory on Sunday, the world No.1 did the rounds of presentations, official photos and media commitments. She was a hit in a visit to the volunteers, signing and posing for more happy snaps. But then came the moment that sealed her reputation in the eyes of those even further behind the scenes of our national championship. Ko wandered up the clubhouse stairs to make her last brief scheduled stop at the champion’s cocktail party, then quietly slipped an envelope containing $500 into the hands of assistant GM Andrea Watson to kickstart the staff’s “after-party”.

It was the New Zealander’s way of saying thanks to all those who almost anonymously helped make her triumph so memorable on one of her favourite courses. But Rak said it was the ultimate in class acts. “I’ve worked in the golf industry for 40 years and I’ve never heard of anything like that – especially from a 17-year-old,” he said. “She’s a class act – I can’t say enough about her. She was very approachable to all our members and talked to them. She’s just a great ambassador for the game and has a great appreciation of what makes clubs and tournaments work. “We’ve been lucky enough to have great golfers out here in the past couple of years who have been a delight to have around. Adam Scott was very giving, Matt Kuchar and Jason Day were tremendous, too. “With them and Lydia, it gives you a lot of confidence in where golf is going and the type of people involved.” “She made a good impression on a lot of people, that’s for sure … and made a lot of our staff and volunteers very happy.

“She’s a credit to golf and those around her.” Singapore's rising mercury a challenge for Ko's hot streak - Yahoo Sports Canada Singapore's rising mercury a challenge for Ko's hot streak By Patrick Johnston 4 March, 2015 5:06 AM  . View photo Aug 21, 2014; London, Ontario, CAN; LPGA golfer and two time defending champion Lydia Ko (NZL) tees off … By Patrick Johnston SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's steamy temperatures will be no less a challenge than the star-studded field at the HSBC Women's Champions for teenaged world number one Lydia Ko's bid for her third successive title. The 17-year-old New Zealander discovered it was not just sweaty palms that golfers have to cope with in the humid Southeast Asian citystate when she played in the 2012 Queen Sirikit Cup. "At that time, I had glasses and the moment I opened the door and went out my glasses just fogged up straightaway," Ko told reporters on Wednesday.

"I was like, 'man', obviously this is like going to freeze up the whole time." The large-framed glasses were ditched at the start of this year in favor of contact lenses and the switch has coincided with her becoming the youngest golfer, across genders, to top the world rankings. Undeterred by the pressure of the position, Ko has won her last two events in Australia and at her home New Zealand Open, where she threatened golf's magical number, 59, in the second round. The Seoul-born Ko will look to make it three consecutive wins when she returns to Singapore for the LPGA tournament, which starts on Thursday and boasts a field that includes 19 of the top-20 women's golfers in the world. "I have had such a great last two weeks, so obviously there's expectation. You're world number one and a lot of people think you should win every week because you are, but that's really not the case," she said. "Hopefully I'm going to keep myself cool. I think that's the big thing here. You can be playing good golf and then the heat gets to you and you start making a couple of mistakes.

I'm going to keep myself cool and try and have some fun." Enjoyment was central for Ko on Wednesday as she spoke about the fun of appearing in a pre-tournament fashion show, where she blew kisses to the crowd after taking catwalk tips from fellow LPGA professional Jessica Korda. More pleasure is in store when her name is announced on the first tee on Thursday with the prefix of "world number one". "Hearing it on the tee it's pretty exciting stuff but when I'm out there I'm not really thinking about it," said Ko. "It's always been my dream so hopefully I can become one of the world's great female golfers and it feels like I'm right there. Obviously I have a lot of things to work on." Her game might appear to lack little work but it will be off the course where the demands will heavily increase as she starts university later this year. Ko, who was named one of the 25 most influential teenagers in the world by Time magazine in October, will study psychology at Korea University in Seoul. "I'm pretty sure its going to be a tough journey, study and playing golf at the same time," Ko said. (Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

Question: What is 17 year old New Zealander Lydia Ko's ranking in women's world golf at the start of 2015?
Answer: 1