Seventeen-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand became the youngest golfer to hold top spot in the world rankings by tying for second place at the LPGA season-opening Coates Golf Championship in Ocala, Florida, on Saturday.
Tiger Woods was previously the youngest golfer to become world No. 1 when he did it in 1997 at 21, while Shin Ji-yai held the women’s record after reaching top spot in 2010 aged 22.
The South Korean-born Ko led by as many as four strokes in the final round, but slipped behind after a double-bogey six at the 17th hole as she finished one shot behind winner and good friend Choi Na-yeon of South Korea, who fired a 68. Still, it was good enough to lift her ahead of Inbee Park of South Korea in the rankings.
Photo: AFP
“It’s amazing,” said Ko, who also ended last year’s season by winning the CME Titleholders event in November and a US$1 million prize for claiming the season-long points race.
Ko, who as a 15-year-old amateur in 2012 became the youngest-ever winner on the tour, shot a one-under-par 71 for 15-under 273 to share second with American Jessica Korda and Jang Ha-na of South Korea at the Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club.
The precocious Ko began the final round with a one-stroke lead and was disappointed not to win the tournament, saying she had not thought about her ranking.
“I didn’t really know what I needed to do to get in that position. All I was focused on was trying to play my best out here today,” she said. “So it’s a huge honor to be in that ranking.”
“I’m just going to just focus on my golf, not think about the rankings. The rankings always comes after the results,” she added.
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