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Top 10 interesting Facts about Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko fondly known as Lyds is a Korean-born New Zealand professional golfer. From an early age, Ko has been described as a golf prodigy, having a total of 23 career wins at age 25, the current age she is in when writing this article.

Currently, Ko sits at 3 in the LPGA rankings, behind Ko Jin-young and Nelly Korda. She is known best for her golf swing and has received a lot of appreciation for it.

Below, we will discuss the top 10 interesting facts about Lydia Ko;

1. Lydia Ko was nearly an Australian or a Canadian

New Zealand flag – Unsplash

Ko was born on 24 April 1997 in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated with her family to New Zealand when she was four, gaining New Zealand citizenship at age 12.

Originally, her parents were destined for North America. “We’d actually intended to move to Canada, but I then changed my mind,” her mother Tina Hyon said. “I actually changed my mind to Australia, but [she laughs] we didn’t like it there and looked at New Zealand.”

2. Ko鈥檚 introduction to golf

Lydia Ko, LPGA Kingsmill 2017 – Wikimedia Commons

Lydia began playing golf as a five-year-old when her mother took her into a pro shop at the Pupuke Golf Club on Auckland’s North Shore, owned by professional Guy Wilson.

Guy Wilson is a golf professional and was Lydia鈥檚 coach until 22 December 2013, 11 highly-successful years. Ko won five pro titles while being coached by Wilson, four of which came as an amateur before the 16-year-old turned professional in October.

In an interview Wilson said, 鈥淲hen I first met her, Lydia Ko, the golf clubs were taller than she was, and she didn’t know the first thing about a driver or a putter, but now she has one of the most envied swings in the women’s golf world.鈥�

3. Ko鈥檚 raise to fame

Lydia Ko – Wikimedia Commons

Ko was seven-year-old in March 2005 when she first came to the attention of the media, for competing in the New Zealand national amateur championships.

During the championship, Lydia Ko of the Pupuke club shot 98 and three rounds of 100 or just over off a 14 handicap.

4. Youngest-ever winner of the LPGA tour

Lydia Ko at the LPGA Kingsmill 2016 – Wikimedia Commons

Ko has had so much success from an early age holding many youngest accolades on The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. The LPGA Tour is best known for running a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female professional golfers from around the world.

On 26 August 2012, at the age of 15 years and four months, Ko became the youngest-ever winner of an LPGA Tour event, winning with a score of 275 (鈭�13) at the CN Canadian Women’s Open.

Ko became the youngest winner of the LPGA Rookie of the Year in LPGA history on 12 November 2014, age 17 years, 6 months and 19 days, surpassing Laura Baugh who won her title at 18 years, 6 months and 29 days and held the “youngest” label for 41 years.

On 23 November 2014, became the youngest and first player to win the biggest payout in LPGA history, taking home US$1.5 million after capturing the tour’s season-ending event and winning the inaugural Race to the CME Globe at age 17 years, 6 months and 30 days.

She became the youngest winner of the LPGA Top Ten Finishes with 17 top ten finishes in 24 events (71%) on 22 November 2015,  at age 18 years, 6 months and 29 days.

On 22 November 2015, became the youngest winner of the LPGA Player of the Year in the 49 years history of the award at age 18 years, 6 months and 29 days, surpassing Nancy Lopez who won her title at age 21 years, 10 months and 6 days and held the “youngest” title for 37 years.

5. Broke a 43-year record

Catherine Lacoste, Amateur LPGA Tour 1967 – Wikipedia

Ko鈥檚 winning at the CN Canadian Women’s Open not only made her the youngest-ever winner of an LPGA Tour event, but also made her only the fifth amateur to have won an LPGA Tour event, and the first in over 43 years.

The other amateurs to win the LPGA Tour include Polly Riley, 1950 Tampa Open, Pat O’Sullivan, 1951 Titleholders Championship, Catherine Lacoste, 1967 U.S. Women’s Open and JoAnne Carner, 1969 Burdine’s Invitational.

6. Only amateur to win two LPGA Tour

Lydia Ko, 2019 – Wikipedia

Lydia Ko has been tearing it up in women’s golf and has secured her space among the legends by being the only amateur to win two LPGA Tour.

On 25 August 2013, she became the only amateur to win two LPGA Tour events age 15 and 16 (2012 and 2013 Canadian Women’s Open).`

7. Youngest player ranked No. 1 in professional golf

Lydia Ko, LPGA Kingsmill 2017 – Wikipedia

On 2 February 2015, at 17 years, 9 months and 9 days of age, Ko became the No. 1 ranked woman professional golfer after a runner-up finish at the Coates Golf Championship, overtaking Inbee Park.

This made Lydia the youngest player of either gender to be ranked No. 1 in professional golf, eclipsing Tiger Woods who was 21 years, 5 months and 15 days when he became men’s world number one in 1997 and Jiyai Shin who was 22 years and 5 days when she became women’s world number one in 2010.

8. The youngest Olympic medal winner (silver) in women’s golf in Rio

Olympic Rings at Centennial Olympic Park. Photo by Gatorfan252525 on Wikimedia

In August, Lydia represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where she won the silver medal. Ko shot 11-under par in Rio, sinking a hole in one in her final round to finish five shots back of Inbee Park, who took home gold.

With this win, she also became New Zealand’s youngest individual female medalist at the Olympics.

9. Ko鈥檚 first ever hole in one

Golf ball on the edge of a hole – Unsplash

Up until 2016, Ko had never shot a hole in one, not even during practice. In golf, a hole in one or hole-in-one occurs when a ball hit from a tee to start a hole finishes in the cup.

The fact that Ko鈥檚 first hole in one will always be that memorable 8^th hole at the third round of Rio 2016 makes the achievement all the more special.

10. Controversial split from her coach

David Leadbetter, 2017 – Wikipedia

In December 2016 Ko announced that she had parted ways with both her caddie and swing coach David Leadbetter, who had been coaching Ko since November 2013.

Leadbetter believed Ko鈥檚 father, Gil Hong Ko, and her, mother, Tina, were heavily involved in the decision to fire him. In an interview with New Zealand鈥檚 Radio Sport Leadbetter stated that: “Her, Lydia Ko, parents have a lot to answer for鈥� They tell her when to go to bed, what to eat, what to wear, when to practice and what to practice. And they expect her to win every tournament.鈥�