Ko, Lydia (1997-…), a New Zealand golfer, became in 2012 the youngest person to win a professional golf event anywhere in the world. At the age of 14, Ko won the New South Wales Open in Australia. She won the title while playing as an amateur. Later in 2012, Ko won the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) Canadian Women’s Open. Ko was the youngest player to win an LPGA event, at a little over 15 years of age.
Ko officially turned professional in 2013, at the age of 16. In 2014, she won her first tournament as a professional, the Swinging Skirts Classic, elevating her to the ranking of number-two women’s player in the world. In 2014, at the age of 17, she was named the LPGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year. Ko became the youngest player to win the award. In January 2015, while still 17 years old, she also became the youngest professional golfer, either male or female, to be ranked number one in the world. Ko was named the LPGA Player of the Year in 2015 and 2022.
In 2015, Ko won the Evian Championship at the age of 18 years, 4 months, and 20 days. She thus became the youngest player to win a major. In 2016, Ko won her second major, the ANA Inspiration (now called the Chevron Championship). There are five majors in women’s golf. The other three are the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the United States Women’s Open, and the Women’s British Open. Together, the majors make up the most prestigious tournaments in women’s golf.
Ko has also enjoyed success at the Olympic Games. In 2016, she won the silver medal in women’s golf at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, she won a bronze medal in women’s golf. The 2020 Summer Olympic Games were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Ko won the gold medal in women’s golf at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France.
Ko was born on April 24, 1997, in Seoul, South Korea. She moved to New Zealand with her family when she was about 4 years old. Ko began playing golf seriously in New Zealand and rapidly became one of the country’s top junior golfers. In 2009, Ko reached the finals of the New Zealand National Amateur Golf Championship. She won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in 2012. Ko won the Mark H. McCormack Medal in 2011, 2012, and 2013. The medal is presented annually to the leading male and female players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
