Lydia Ko Petitions LPGA Tour for Professional Status

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: October 23, 2013

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Golf Channel Senior Writer Randall Mell announced on Morning Drive that teenage golf phenomenon Lydia Ko will petition LPGA Tour Commissioner Michael Whan for full tour membership.

The LPGA Tour requires women to reach the age of 18 prior to gaining membership to the tour. Exceptions have been made in the past, most recently for Lexi Thompson. Thompson turned professional at the age of 15 but was not granted LPGA Tour membership until she had reached her 17th birthday.

Ko will not turn 17 years old until April 24, 2014. She has been the top-ranked women’s amateur in the world for over two years.

She announced her intention to turn professional via a YouTube video that features her and close friend Israel Dagg, a New Zealand Rugby player, playing a round of golf.

Ko has already won twice, while still an amateur, on the LPGA Tour. She won the 2012 and 2013 CN Canadian Women’s Open. She also finished runner-up at the 2013 Evian Championship, a major tournament on the LPGA Tour.

In February of 2013, she won the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open on the Ladies European Tour (LET).

While still 14 years old, she became the youngest person to ever win a professional golf tournament with her win in January 2012, at the Bing Lee Samsung Women’s NSW Open in New Zealand on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour (ALPG).   

Ko has never missed a cut in 25 professional events and is ranked No. 4 on the Rolex Rankings behind only Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen and Stacy Lewis.

Commissioner Whan is normally reluctant to grant tour membership to young ladies, but Ko’s petition seems to be warranted. She has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to compete with the top professionals.

LPGA Tour players are required to attend social functions surrounding LPGA Tour events, and the tour does not want to put young women in uncomfortable soci...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Golf

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