 |
| Lydia Ko at Queen Sirikit Cup. (Singapore Sports) |
FORGET THE RYDER CUP. FORGET The Barclays. Forget the FedEx Cup playoffs. Forget Tiger Woods. Forget anchoring. Forget Augusta National and its two new members. (Well, maybe not that.)
The golf story of the week and perhaps the year is a 15-year-old who won the CN Canadian Women’s Open. Fresh off a win at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, Lydia Ko of New Zealand humbled all but maybe two of the world’s best female tour pros at the Vancouver Golf Club on Sunday. Ko’s three-stroke victory was the first win by an amateur in a pro event since Joanne Carner did it in 1969.
Did I mention that Ko is 15? Yeah, I guess I did. That makes her a year younger than Lexi Thompson when Lexi got her first win. This is getting ridiculous. An amateur not old enough to drive beating all of the top professionals. Who else is dumbfounded?
“This is making me feel old,” said 24-year-old Jiyai Shin.
“It feels like you’re being beaten by a kid,” said 31-year-old Suzann Pettersen.
(That’s because you are.)
So, how did this happen, and how does Ko stay grounded after so much early success?
“I don’t know,” Ko said yesterday in Canada. “Maybe it came from my mom or dad or something. But I just try to stay relaxed, and I’m No. 1 in the world as an amateur, but I really don’t think about that. I just feel like I’m just an athlete playing or doing something that I really love.”
Sounds like there may be more trouble for all those old ladies on the LPGA Tour.
She is a real gem! Very impressed, not just with her game (which goes without saying), but also by her poise, maturity, sense of humor, intelligence, and modesty in her victory speech and her interview on Golf Channel that followed.
Good for her!!
I dont know if I would be able to turn down the $300,000 first place prize and stay an amature, continue high school and go to college. Good for her thoug, She will have plenty of time for golf later in her life.
golftipsandadvice.blogspot.com
Impressive for a 15 year old girl. The first time I've heard of her, I wasn't really sure that she will won. But surprisingly she did! oh well, golf never fail to surprise me.
So impressed with her maturity and poise down the stretch.
It's hard to fathom she's only 15. Her swing is so fluid and she controls the ball so well from tee to green. I'd love to see her play more but can respect her decision to go to university.
A huge step for her, great skills but this is just a one game. She is still very young and can get on top