New Zealand’s Lydia Ko wrote another chapter of golfing history yesterday when she became the youngest winner of a women's major with a stunning final round 63 at the Evian Championship.
The flawless eight-birdie round was the lowest score of the week and she finished on 268, 16 under par and six ahead of American Lexi Thompson (70). China’s Feng Shanshan also shot 70 and was third on eight under.
Ko is 18 years 142 days – 171 days younger than Morgan Pressel when she won the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Back in February, aged 17, Ko became the youngest player to claim the world No. 1 ranking, although the Evian victory still leaves her at No.2 behind South Korea’s Park In-Bee.
She also holds the record as the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour, the first of her nine wins coming as a 15-year-old amateur at the 2012 Canadian Open.
Ko, who finished second at Evian two years ago, was thrilled to achieve her dream of a first major title.
Overcome with emotion, she came close to tears after holing the last of her eight birdie putts on the 18th.
"It’s pretty amazing," she said.
"This has been an awesome day and an unbelievable experience. Everyone has been asking me when I was going to win my fist major, and now it's done. It’s so hard to get your hands on the first one.
