Teenager Lydia Ko Easily Put Tiger Woods to Shame a Decade Before Reaching the LPGA ‘Hall of Fame’

Lydia Ko has been on a dominant run, much like Scottie Scheffler this year. This year has indeed been rather special for her. The American professional entered the Paris Olympics with 27 fewer points needed to enter the list of Hall of Famers.

Ko bagged the gold medal, defeating Esther Henseleit and earning the remaining points as well. Her name was inducted into the Hall of Fame as the 35th LPGA Tour player to have their name on the prestigious list. Well, these are just her recent accolades. Her biggest achievement in life? The 27-year-old once surpassed the legendary Tiger Woods with her performance.

Lydia Ko defeated Tiger Woods to become the youngest amateur winner
Back in 1991, Tiger Woods, at the age of 15, earned his first amateur win—the U.S. Juniors. This was followed by three straight wins at the championship, making him an undefeatable force. After his first win, he earned an amateur spot on the PGA Tour in 1992 and made five cuts during his amateur years (1992-96). His best finish was a T22 at the 1996 British Open.

On the other hand, Lydia Ko bagged her first win when she was 14 years old. In 2012, she defeated Becky Morgan by four shots at the NSW Open on the Australian Tour. This already got her name in the headlines. She entered the LPGA Tour and also became the youngest player to win an event on it. She bagged the CN Canadian Open back-to-back for two consecutive years (2012-13). The 27-year-old turned pro in 2014 at the age of 16.

She grabbed a total of twelve unforgettable wins in her first three seasons on the Tour as a professional. This included two majors. Her performance was so scintillating that she also earned another ‘youngest player’ feather in her cap. The next year, at 17 years old, she became the youngest player to reach the top of the Rolex Player standings.

To be able to defeat a childhood superhero in the game that he is known to excel in was indeed overwhelming. However, the 27-year-old is still a huge Tiger Woods fan and shall remain so as long as her love for golf persists—forever.

At the CPKC Women’s Open final round, Lydia Ko put on a striking red shirt and black pants in Calgary. This is usually what Woods does as a superstition—wearing red and black on Sundays. Tiger Woods met with a life-altering accident in 2021, and his gameplay has never been the same since. However, his love and resilience for the game have not changed, and his outlook remains positive.

This is what continues to inspire the golfer from New Zealand. “I remember wearing red and black, especially in my first win, because of them being Canadian colors, but also channeled the inner Tiger Woods in me or something. I remember growing up a lot of my passwords were mini Tiger. So I did put out a red and black outfit for this week on Sunday,” said Lydia Ko.