Ko knows how to beat the pros,
16-year-old New Zealander shows she’s more than ready for pro game
EDMONTON Amateur Lydia Ko is a humble sports prodigy, a Grade 12 student and 16 years old, all of which means that rarely have the absolute best pros in women’s golf had their collective butts kicked with such respectful, unassuming grace as happened this week at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club.
The Korean-born resident of New Zealand fired a finalround, six-under-par 64 Sunday to defend the CN Canadian Women’s Open title she won in 2012 in Vancouver. The field here in Edmonton, remember, included 96 of the top 100 women pros in the world, but none came close to matching Ko, who strung together rounds of 65, 69 and 67 before pulling away.
For a flourish, with a massive gallery surrounding the 18th green, Ko calmly curled in a slippery, downhill, 16-footer for a birdie for a 72-hole total of 265, five better than runner-up Karine Icher of France.
Not that the Frenchwoman was complaining. Since Ko is an amateur, Icher collected the $300,000 winner’s cheque.
Still, at the end of a week in which there was much hopeful discussion about the wave of youth washing over the LPGA, Ko’s almost casual brilliance shone brightest of all.
Of course, there is nothing accidental or casual about it at all. Her mother, Tina Hyon, took her to a pro shop in Auckland, N.Z., when Ko was five years old. She has been coached for years by Guy Wilson. Her website lists a full team that works with her, including two physiotherapists, a strength and conditioning coach and mental performance coach. Golf New Zealand has played a key role in her development.
Ko graciously thanked each of them — along with the sponsors, volunteers, Golf Canada, her mom and dad, et al — in her post-victory speech, a polished, witty presentation that demonstrated that the teenage amateur has a professional skill set, with either a club or microphone in her hand.
“Thank-you to the person I hit in the back on accident with my ball on the 12th hole,” Ko said, at one point. “I’m really sorry and I hope you have insurance.”
She is an elite athlete, head to toe, and as down-to-earth and genuine as they come.
Watching this spectacle unfold, it was difficult to identify comparables, although there some obvious ones. Michelle Wie, of course, qualified for her first LPGA event at the age of 12 years, four months and 14 days. When she was 13 years old, five months and 19 days old, Wie finished ninth at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the youngest ever player to record a top 10 finish.
The LPGA has benefited from a parade of teenage stars in recent years, players like Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and Natalie Gulbis, all in their 20s now. Not to mention youngsters like Lexi Thompson, 18, and Jessica Korda, 20, who is the daughter of former pro tennis star.
But the performance record Ko is fashioning is at another level.
“She’s an amazing player,” said Thompson, who became the youngest person to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open at age 12 in 2007. “I think I played with her when she was 14. It’s amazing how great her game is, how consistent it is.
“She has such a bright future ahead of her and she has such a great attitude on the golf course. All you need is that confidence, and look what she’s doing here.”
Ko did it with panache on and off the course.
Asked how it felt walking up the 18th fairway to the green, a defending champion taking a victory lap, Ko said: “I don’t know why, but especially when there are a lot of people, I kind of forget how to walk.
“Because you walk without thinking. But today I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh ... am I walking weird?’”
A measure of how respected young Ko is came after she had won and fellow pros Korda, I.K. Kim and Danielle Kang doused the youngster with bottles of water.
“I was quite surprised to see I.K. there, spraying water on me,” Ko said. “She’s a great player. It was really special to get water sprayed.”
Commentator Judy Rankin, an LPGA Hall of Famer, said of Ko early in the CBCTV broadcast: “I think she’s found her career.”