There’s probably a comparison out there somewhere for Lydia Ko that works but it’s probably not in the sport of golf. Maybe in another sport there’s been a player this good this early but not in golf.
Annika Sorenstam? The 72-time LPGA winner’s first win didn’t come until she was 24.
Tiger Woods? No, the world’s most famous golfer never got to No. 2 in the world at the age of 17.
Michelle Wie? No, the world’s most famous female golfer didn’t win until she was 20. Ko already has five wins at the age of 17.
Kathy Whitworth, Louise Suggs, Mickey Wright and Patty Berg were all in their 20s when they first raised an LPGA trophy above their heads.
Morgan Pressel, now 26, might be the best comparison for Ko at this point after becoming the youngest major champion in LPGA history with a win at the Kraft Nabisco in 2007 at the age of 18. Although Ko doesn’t have a major championship yet, Pressel would be the first to admit that she never quite reached this level of precociousness at 17. Ko’s already matched Pressel’s number of career wins at five and she still has five more cracks at breaking Pressel’s record as the youngest major champion in LPGA Tour history.
Really, it’s the only major age related record left for Ko to shoot for. Youngest winner, Youngest Rolex Rookie of the year, youngest to a million dollar (and two million), and youngest to five wins are all Ko at this point.
Ko wasn’t even done in 2014 by the time she had already checked off all those off her to-do list. She followed those up by netting the biggest payday in women’s golf history, winning the inaugural Race to the CME Globe and the CME Group Tour Championship at the season finale.
So what could she possibly plan for an encore in her second year on Tour?
Take over the No. 1 ranking for the first time before her 18th birthday? Become the youngest major champion in golf history? Challenge Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis for their three-year grasp on the Rolex Player of the Year, Vare Trophy, and money list titles?
Or will she win the Race to the CME Globe again for the second time? Or all of the above? Who knows, but this 17-year-old is as good as anyone’s ever seen at this age and her second LPGA Tour act could end up being even better than her first.