18-Year-Old Professional Golfer Lydia Ko Bags 'Player of the Year' Award and $1 Million Bonus Prize At LPGA's Tour Season Finale
At 18 years old, South Korean-New Zealander Lydia Ko is already a millionaire and hailed the women's Player of the Year
CNN reported Thursday Ko picked up the Race to the CME Global title and a $1 million bonus prize. The award is given to the player who racked up the most points during the whole season of the CME Group Tour Championship.
Lydia Ko is the youngest golfer in history to have been conferred the Player of the year honors.
"It's been a long season of ups and downs as well, mainly ups, but I think every emotion went through me today," Ko said in tears during the emotional season wrap-up.
The 18-year-old golfer shared that she felt emotional because she's had a "tough day".
"I tried to stay patient all day and even up to the last minute I had a putt lip out, so it was tough, but it's been a long season. I think the hole was smaller than the ball today," Ko said.
Ko rounded up last week's contest with a three-point lead over Hall of Famer and fellow South Korean Inbee Park as they went head to head for the Player of the Year title. At the end, Ko edged Park by a close two pointer for the award, SB Nation reported Nov. 23.
Inbee Park, on the other hand, said Hallf of Fame award will be her last goal. "It really came early and I achieved pretty much everything I set so far in my career," the 27-year-old LPGA Vare Trophy recipient said.
Other than her CME Global title victory, Ko was also awarded the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Player of the Year award, becoming the youngest player to be recognized in the association's 49-year history.
According to SB Nation, adding to Ko's latest wins, the golfer also holds the record for the youngest Rookie of the Year (2014) and youngest golfer with a No. 1 ranking (2015).
Ko now stands at par with golf legend Tiger Woods who was also hailed youngest Player of the Year by the Professional Golf Association when he was still 21 years old.
