2015 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open
Royal Melbourne Golf Club – The Composite Course, Melbourne, Australia
February 22, 2015
Birthplace/Hometown – South Korea/Auckland, New Zealand
Birthdate – April 24, 1997 – currently 17 years, 9 months, 29 days
Qualified for LPGA Tour – Granted Membership for the 2014 season by LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan
Turned Professional – October, 2013
- VICTORIES
- LPGA: Sixth-career victory; fourth as a member of the LPGA Tour Previous wins: 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open; 2013 CN Canadian Women’s Open (both as an amateur); 2014 Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic; 2014 Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I, 2014 CME Group Tour Championship
- RACE TO THE CME GLOBE
- Earns 500 points toward the Race to the CME Globe standings and will lead the Race to the CME Globe with 890 points.
- ROLEX RANKINGS
- With her victory, Lydia will further distance her hold of No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.
- MONEY
- CAREER: With the $180,000 first-place check, Lydia is 106th on the LPGA Career Money List with $2,404,930.
- SEASON: Lydia has earned $315,897 this season and leads the LPGA Tour Official Money List
- TOURNAMENT SPECIFIC
- Becomes the youngest winner ever of this championship.
- This is the earliest Ko’s ever won a title in a season.
- Ko had two third-place finishes at this tournament before her win today.
- Ko has now won two of the LPGA Tour’s last four events and has finished in the top-10 in each.
- 2015 IN A NUTSHELL
- 3 events, 1 victory, 1 runner-up and an additional top-10. Ko is first on the money list, first in the Race to the CME Globe standings, first in scoring average and the No. 1 player in the world.
- 2014 RECAP
- 26 events, 26 cuts made, 3 victories, 12 additional top-10 finishes, Race to the CME Globe winner.
- OF NOTE
- This marks her sixth career victory before the age of 18
- Ko was the inaugural Race to the CME Globe winner a year ago, netting the largest payday in women’s golf history - $1.5 million after winning both the CME Group Tour Championship and Race to the CME Globe.
- Became the youngest player – male or female – to reach No. 1 in the world by nearly four years, besting Tiger Woods.
- Became the youngest winner in LPGA history on August 19, 2012 at the 72-hole CN Canadian Women’s Open at the age of 15 years, 4 months and 2 days.
- Was the fifth amateur winner in LPGA history and first since 1967; became the first amateur to win twice