Birthplace/Hometown – South Korea/Auckland, New Zealand
Birthdate – April 24, 1997 – currently 18 years, 11 months, and 3 days
Qualified for LPGA Tour – Granted Membership for the 2014 season by LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan
Turned Professional – October 2013
VICTORIES - LPGA 11th career victory; 1st this season
Moves into a tie for 41st on the LPGA all-time wins list with Stacy Lewis, Jiyai Shin, Shirley Englehorn, Ruth Jessen, Jane Geddes, and Clifford Ann Creed
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, 2015 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, 2015 Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, 2015 CP Women’s Open, 2015 Evian Championship, 2015 Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship
Rolex Rankings
With her victory, Lydia will keep the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings
Ko will remain in the No. 1 position for the 23rd consecutive week. This is her second career stint in the top position
Money
CAREER: With the $255,000 first-place check, Lydia moves to 45th on the LPGA Career Money List with $5,503,957
SEASON: Lydia moves from third to first on the LPGA Tour Official Money List with $614,122
Race To The CME Globe
Earns 500 points toward the Race to the CME Globe standings and moves from 3rd to 2nd in the race with 1,346 points
Tournament Specific
Previous Finishes at the Kia Classic
2015 - 3rd (-17)
2014 - T61 (+3)
2016 In A Nutshell
5 events played, 5 cuts made, $614,122, 1 victory, 3 additional top-3s
Of Note
- Has finished no worse than T15 in five starts this season
- Became the youngest player in LPGA Tour history to reach 10 wins (18years, 6 months, 1day) ; beating Nancy Lopez’s previous record (22 years, 2 months, 5 days)
- Ko has won the Race to the CME Globe in each of its first two years (2014 and 2015)
- Became the youngest winner in LPGA history on August 19, 2012 at the 72-hole Canadian Women’s Open at the age of 15 years, 4 months and 2 days