Lydia Ko to Turn Pro

[Aotearoa_Brad]

Ko to go Pro next year

World No 1 amateur golfer Lydia Ko has confirmed she will "definitely" turn professional next year after finishing runner-up by only two shots at the Evian Championship in France - no exact date yet, though she turns 17 in April so that may be one possibility (she'll still need an exemption from the LPGA as she's under 18 - though my bet is that wouldn't be a problem ).

 

She'a already accomplished quite a bit in her young life:

• Number 1 womens amateur
  
• currently ranked 5th in Womens world rankings
  
• hasn't missed a cut in 25 professional tournaments since 2010
  
• top-5 finishes on 7 occasions in pro events
  
• 2 wins (2012 and 2013 Canadian Opens)
  
• leading amateur honors in 6 of her 7 major appearances
  
• now a 2nd place in a major
  

 

So, what are the expectations on her as a pro? While I'd love for her first year as a pro to be a barnstormer, my expectation are a little more tempered than that. I'm half-expecting a quiet year next year as she gets used to the pressure of playing for big dollars.

 

Oh yeah, likely the sponsors will be lining up for her signature - potentially very marketable in both Asia and the US/Europe. I have no idea what LPGA players make in endorsements - anyone want to have a guess at what kind of $$$ Lydia could be pulling? How hard will it be for Lydia to make the change? Is the weight of expectation really that heavy of a burden?

[Golfn' Dude]

I've only seen a little bit of Lydia Ko...and from what I can see, obviously, she is really solid. And has a great attitude. But they all do at that age. Or it seems. That would be my only concern is she keeps that attitude of hers going as i think that's why she plays so well. Time will tell.

 

Remember Sergio when he first came out...great attitude and lots of fun and now look at him. Although, i think it is a little different because when you're 'high' like he was your lows can be very low and miserable. As he's proven. I think Lydia Ko is generally a very level player and person with a great attitude. It will be fun to watch her ride it out. Hopefully, it's not another Michelle Wie mess..

 

Ko to go Pro next year

World No 1 amateur golfer Lydia Ko has confirmed she will "definitely" turn professional next year after finishing runner-up by only two shots at the Evian Championship in France - no exact date yet, though she turns 17 in April so that may be one possibility (she'll still need an exemption from the LPGA as she's under 18 - though my bet is that wouldn't be a problem ).

 

She'a already accomplished quite a bit in her young life:

• Number 1 womens amateur
  
• currently ranked 5th in Womens world rankings
  
• hasn't missed a cut in 25 professional tournaments since 2010
  
• top-5 finishes on 7 occasions in pro events
  
• 2 wins (2012 and 2013 Canadian Opens)
  
• leading amateur honors in 6 of her 7 major appearances
  
• now a 2nd place in a major
  

 

So, what are the expectations on her as a pro? While I'd love for her first year as a pro to be a barnstormer, my expectation are a little more tempered than that. I'm half-expecting a quiet year next year as she gets used to the pressure of playing for big dollars.

 

Oh yeah, likely the sponsors will be lining up for her signature - potentially very marketable in both Asia and the US/Europe. I have no idea what LPGA players make in endorsements - anyone want to have a guess at what kind of $$$ Lydia could be pulling? How hard will it be for Lydia to make the change? Is the weight of expectation really that heavy of a burden?

[Aotearoa_Brad]

I agree we won't know completely until she actually goes Pro. You do raise a good point though about attitude - I wonder whether having a group of people relying on her performances for their own paychecks will affect her, if at all. I hope it doesn't, but whether she likes it or not, once she turns pro she's not just doing it for herself - there's a bunch of people around her with vested interests.

 

We will know soon enough - word here (she arrived home this morning) is that she will spend the next 3-months focusing on schoolwork and may not even pick up a club in that time, and will be pro by April (her 17th birthday).

[Aotearoa_Brad]

12 months ago I was querying how Ms Ko would fare as a Pro in her first year. A look back at her stats for the year shows a lot of Top-10s in various categories.

 

Highlights:

- No missed cuts

- 3 victories

- 15 Top-10s

- Rookie of the Year

- over $3M including the CME bonus

 

 

I'd say that she's handling the pressure...