Lydia Ko Becomes Youngest LPGA Rookie of Year

New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko has become the youngest winner of the LPGA’s Rookie of the Year award in a season in which she has won twice, secured two runner-up finishes, and gained nine other top-10s.

The 17-year-old already owns records as the youngest LPGA title winner and the youngest player to win $1 million in prize money.

“It’s really been a dream rookie season for me,” Ko said on the LPGA website.

“I learned so much and am glad to have achieved some of my goals along the way. It’s an honor to have my name now etched alongside such amazing players and legends of the game on the list of Rookie of the Year winners.”

Currently ranked third in the world, Ko enters this week’s Lorena Ochoa Invitational fourth on the LPGA money list with over 1.5 million dollars and riding a streak of 40 straight cuts – the best on tour.

Ko is yet to miss a cut in an LPGA Tour event.

Original story by Ian Ransom, Reuters, 13 November 2014

Image credit: Wojciech Migda, Wikipedia commons.