Teenage prodigy Ko sets modest target

Published on 13/09/2012 03:15

WHEN Michelle Wie finished joint ninth in a major as a 13-year-old at the 2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship, she was hailed as a superstar and set a new standard for young female golfers.

Yesterday, within sight of her 23rd birthday, the American admitted she felt “like an old 1980s rockstar” compared to 15-year-old Lydia Ko, who became the youngest ever winner on the LPGA Tour at last month’s Canadian Open. Ko, born in South Korea but raised in New Zealand, is still an amateur but will tee off at the Ricoh Women’s British Open as a genuine contender.

The teenager also won this year’s US Women’s Amateur Championship and Scotland’s Carly Booth, who made her own early impact when she won the Dunblane Club Championship aged 11, had one word when asked about Ko’s achievement: “Impressive.”

Wie was just as complimentary. “She has some talent and I look forward to playing with her. People will have high expectations, but she probably has even higher expectations herself.”

Ko has been to the UK before, for the Astor Trophy at Fairhaven and the British Women’s Amateur at Royal Portrush.

This week, she is starting with the same attitude that bore fruit in Canada. She said: “My goal wasn’t to win, just to make the cut. It’s the top players here, so I’ll just try to play my best again and, hopefully, make the cut.”