Lydia Ko is now the youngest champion in LPGA Tour history. The teen amateur won the CN Canadian Women's Open on Sunday, posting a 13-under total to win by three shots.
At 15 years, 4 months and 2 days, Ko undercut Lexi Thompson for the youngest winner in the six-plus decades of LPGA play. Thompson won the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic at 16 years, 7 months, 8 days.
The Kiwi locked up the win with a stretch of five birdies on the first six holes of the back nine at Vancouver Golf Club. Her final round of 5-under 67 tied for the best of the day.
Ko is also the youngest winner of a professional event on a major tour. Earlier this year, she won the New South Wales Open in Australia at age 14.
She is the first amateur to win on the LPGA Tour in 43 years, dating back to when JoAnne Carner was the fourth unpaid player to win the 54-hole Burdine’s Invitational in 1969.
As an amateur, Ko earned no prize money for the win. That $300,000 check instead went to Inbee Park, the highest-finishing professional at 10 under par.
The LPGA has seen five of its seven-youngest champions crowned since 2005, when an 18-year-old Paula Creamer won the Sybase Classic. Two years later, Morgan Pressel became the youngest major champion in taking the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Jessica Korda won the Women's Australian Open in February of this year at 18 years, 11 months and 2 days.
Add Comment