New Zealand Prime Minister John Key led a chorus of praise for teenage golf sensation Lydia Ko after she became the youngest winner in the history of the LPGA Tour.
The 15-year-old, who said her aim had been to make the cut at the Canadian Women’s Open, finished the 72 holes at the Vancouver Golf Club course in 13-under-par 275 to beat South Korea’s Park In-Bee by three shots.
Ko, born 11 days after Tiger Woods won his first Masters in 1997, is 16 months younger than Lexi Thompson, who held the previous LPGA age record at 16 years, eight months.
Prime Minister Key said the South-Korean born Ko’s win in a field packed with seasoned professionals was a “fantastic achievement”, topping an amazing year for the teenager.
In January she won the New South Wales Open at 14 to become the youngest winner of a professional tour event and two weeks ago she won the US Women’s Amateur competition.
Key, who played with Ko in a pro-am earlier in the year, said he was “impressed by her poise, skill and absolute dedication to her sport.”
New Zealand Golf chief executive Dean Murphy rated Ko’s win in Canada as one of the most outstanding performances in New Zealand sporting history.
