15 And A Winner: "Without doubt the golf story of the year"
Check out David Ebner's excellent Globe and Mail game story, courtesy of reader Matthew, covering U.S. Women's Amateur Champion and 15-year-old Lydia Ko's historic win in the CN Canadian Women's Open.
The victory makes Ko the youngest LPGA Tour winner...ever.
Ebner's lede:
As she walked to the 13th tee box, as 15-year-old amateur Lydia Ko pulled away from a star-studded field of professional women golfers like a Ferrari firing away from Fords, her mother Tina handed her a Ziploc bag of cherry tomatoes.
Ko proceeded to crank yet another long and straight drive off the box and then, walking up 13, snacked, offered some to her playing partners, and waved to her math teacher and his wife, in the gallery, visiting from her home back in New Zealand. Ko, earlier in the round, popping some grapes, said to her caddy that she likes to eat during a round of golf, as an empty stomach, for her, can be prey to butterflies.
In what is without doubt the golf story of the year – and one of the great sporting victories in recent memory – the kid betrayed no nerves at all as she booked a fantastic, historic and resoundingly decisive victory in a national championship halfway around the world from her home in Auckland.
He goes on from there and it makes for a fun read of an impressive victory.
LPGA correspondent Beth Ann Baldry for Golfweek:
Lydia Ko went on Golf Channel after her historic victory and said she’d like to have the winner’s check so could buy a dog and give money to the poor. And she said it in that darling New Zealand accent. Could she be more impressive?
Her new nickname should be “Knockout.” As in, Ladies of the LPGA, you’ve just been KO’d.
Ko won the New South Wales Open in January when she was 14. Here was the post from back then and a game story link by Patrick McKendry provided by Colin.
Randall Mell on the historic nature of the victory as well as Ko's matter-of-fact answers.
With the FedEx Cup playoffs off to a start this weekend, World Golf Hall of Fame officials weren’t calling PGA Tour officials at Bethpage Black Sunday for mementos to put on display. Instead, they were calling Vancouver Golf Club. They were looking for some keepsake from Ko to commemorate the victory in one of their exhibits.
Ko stole the show in golf Sunday. She is so young she can’t say watching Tiger Woods win the Masters in a rout in 1997 inspired her. She was born 11 days after Woods won.
Asked if she wore “power” red Sunday to emulate Woods, Ko shook her head no.
“It’s just another color,” she said.
Brian Alexander picked up Ko’s bag for the week to have some fun. A senior champion as a member at Vancouver Golf Club, Alexander volunteered when Ko needed somebody to tote her bag. He’s a 63-year-old real-estate developer.
John Strege on the event overshadowing the "playoffs" and the many reactions from the LPGA community, including her "older" competitors.
"This is making me feel old," Jiyai Shin, one of those in pursuit at the outset of the final round, told the Golf Channel in the midst of Ko's back-nine assault that included four consecutive birdies and five in a six-hole stretch.
Shin, it should be noted, is 24.
Greg Stutchbury of Reuters talks to New Zealand Golf chief executive Dean Murphy who says Ko's win was easily the biggest day for women's golf in that country.
LPGA notes from the historic day center mostly around Ko and include the transcript of her final round interview.
A few of the key facts:
Becomes the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history, eclipsing the previous mark set by Lexi Thompson, who was 16 years, 8 months, 8 days when she won the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic
Youngest winners in LPGA Tour history
Lydia Ko, 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open (72-hole event) at 15 years, 4 months, 2 days
Lexi Thompson, 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic (72-hole event) at 16 years, 8 months, 8 days
Marlene Hagge, 1952 Sarasota Open (18-hole event) at 18 years, 14 days
Marlene Hagge, 1952 Bakersfield Open (18-hole event) at 18 years, 2 months, 15 days
Paula Creamer, 2005 Sybase Classic presented by Lincoln Mercury (72-hole event) at 18 years, 9 month, 17 days
Morgan Pressel, 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship (72-hole event) at 18 years, 10 months, 9 days
Paula Creamer, 2005 Evian Masters (72-hole event), 18 years, 11 months, 18 days
Becomes the fifth amateur in LPGA Tour history to win an official event and the first in more than 40 years
Amateurs to win an LPGA event
Lydia Ko, 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open
JoAnne Carner, 1969 Burdine’s Invitational
Catherine LaCoste, 1967 U.S. Women’s Open Pat O’Sullivan, 1951 Titleholders Championship
Polly Riley, 1950 Tampa Open
Golf Channel's recap of the win with fellow New Zealander Frank Nobilo's analysis:
Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 11:38 PM
Reader Comments (48)
I just hope she's able to resist the urgings of those who tell her to turn pro. Going to Stanford (she's stated that is where she plans to attend) would be a great experience for her. She'll only be about 20 or so when she turns pro.
Keep an eye out for her at the upcoming British Women's Open - imagine the hoopla if she wins that too!!
American LPGA players need to get to the range. Think they are just lazy and happy to make a nice living. Heard of practice?
Check out the middle to bottom scores at a Div 1 women's NCAA tournament. There are girls shooting in the high 80's from the men's middle tees. It is not uncommon to see Div 1 girls shoot in the 90's even. If she has any designs on being an historically significant golfer apart from being the youngest to win, stay the hell away from college golf.
Dan, pretty interesting info there about the financial sponsor. Hope Lydia doesn't come under the same scrutiny from the USGA as the Jutanugarn sisters did but if what you describe is in fact true I won't be the least bit surprised if she does. In the meantime I hope this fella will spring for some braces for her.
PS. Who won the rugby???
If you don't like the LPGA then you don't like golf.