[스크랩] 뉴질랜드 교포골퍼 리디아 고, LPGA 최연소 우승

리디아 고, 캐나디언 오픈에서 각종 기록을 갈며 우승   

 

 전세계 아마추어 랭킹 1위인 리디아 고( Lydia Ko)가 LPGA 투어에서 뉴질랜드인으로는 처음 우승했고, 게다가  LPGA 62년 역사상 최연소 우승자로 다시 기록을 갈아치웠다.  

 

올해 15세로 오클랜드 북쪽 걸프하버 컨트리 클럽 소속인 리디아 고는 1타차 앞선 상태로 마지막 라운드를 시작했다.

 

뱅쿠버 골프클럽에서 열린 캐나디언 오픈 골프 대회 마지막 라운드에서  4개의 버디를 연달아 낚는 등 상승세를 이어가  합계 5언더파 67타로 끝내  한국의 박인비(69타)를 3타차로 따돌리며 우승컵을 안았다.  

 

뉴질랜드 스릭슨 골프 아카데미(Srixon Academy)소속인 리디아 고는 2012년 각종 세계 골프대회 기록을 갱신하며 화려하게 보내고 있다.    

 

지난 1월엔 호즈 뉴 사우스 웨일스 오픈에서 14세로 우승하며 프로  투어 대회에서 최연소 우승자로 이름을 새겼고,

2주 전에는 US 여자 아마추어 대회에서 우승한 첫 뉴질랜드인이 됐을 때에도  이 대회 사상 두번째로 어린 나이였다. 

 

 

Ko surpassed the feats of her American heroine Lexi Thompson who was the youngest LPGA Tour winner after she won the Navistar LPGA Classic last September aged 16.

 

She also became only the fifth amateur to win on the LPGA Tour and first since JoAnne Carner in the 1969 Burdine's Invitational.

 

It is believed to be the best finish a Kiwi on the LPGA Tour since Lynnette Brooky finished tied 12th at the US Open in 2002.

 

Her win comes 20 years after another famous New Zealand golf win in Vancouver when the team of Phil Tataurangi, Michael Campbell, Grant Moorhead and Stephen Scahill won the Eisenhower World Amateur Team’s Championship in 1992.

 

Ko, who began on an eight under par total with rounds of 68, 68 and 72, was quickly into her work in the final round with a birdie on the second hole.

 

She added another at the sixth before dropping a shot at the par four seventh to slip back to nine under par total.

 

Meantime Choi matched her on nine under par after three birdies and a bogey in her opening nine holes.

 

Ko had played the back nine beautifully all week, a cumulative eight under par heading into the final round, and she delivered the defining stretch in the tournament.

 

The Srixon Academy player, who had been praised all week for her incredible composure by the international media, made four straight birdies from 10 – 13 and then added another on 15 to put the title beyond reach. She held four shot lead heading down the last and made bogey to win by three strokes.

 

Ko has had a phenomenal year in 2012.

 

In January, she made international headlines when she won the New South Wales Open in Australia at 14 to become the youngest player to win a professional tour event. Before that she was the youngest champion of the Australian Amateur.

Just two weeks ago she was the first New Zealand player to win the US Amateur and the second youngest in history.

In any other year, Ko would likely be a shoo-in for the Sportswoman of the year at the Halberg Awards in 2013 but will face tough competition from Olympic gold medalists Lisa Carrington and Valerie Adams.

 

Regardless, Ko has achieved something no other New Zealand golfer has. She will always be the first Kiwi golfer to win on the LPGA Tour and for now is the youngest champion in the tour’s 62 year history.

 

 

On Sunday August 26 at the Vancouver Golf Club Lydia Ko confirmed once again that she is the most exciting young golfer in the world.

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