Lydia Ko wins $1 million LPGA ‘Race’ jackpot, becomes golf’s youngest Player of the Year

Lydia Ko finished six shots behind CME Group Tour Championship winner Cristie Kerr in the LPGA Tour’s season finale on Sunday, but the 18-year-old world No. 1 became the youngest golfer in history to win Player of the Year honors.

Ko, who entered last week’s contest with a three-point lead over future Hall of Famer Inbee Park for PoY honors, edged her rival by two points for the award. With five victories in her second year as a tour pro that included her first major at the Evian Championship, she also retained her top ranking and earned the $1 million Race to the CME Globe bonus for the second straight year.

The South Korean-born New Zealander, who topped the tour money list as well, was one of a trio of victors on Sunday. In addition to Kerr wrapping up her 18th LPGA triumph and second of the season with a one-shot win over Gerina Piller and Ha Na Jang, Park took home the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average.

“At the start of the week, I would say the biggest trophy that would mean a lot to me would be the Player of the Year,” said Ko after finishing T7 at 11-under at Tiburon in Naples, Fla. “I think the great thing is we’ve got three different winners, winner of Player of the Year and then winner of the Tour Championship. Who would have known that there would be three winners at the end of the week?”

Park’s accomplishment earned the seven-time major winner, who closed out her five-win season in sixth place at 12-under, the last of 27 points required for LPGA Hall of Fame eligibility. Indeed, when she qualifies for HoF entry next year after finishing her 10th season as an active member, Park will take a page from Ko’s book by becoming the youngest Hall entrant in LPGA history.

“I thought the youngest everything was Lydia,” Park quipped about her impending enshrinement. “I’m doing something youngest. I don’t feel that young after playing with Lydia all year. It feels great to hear that I’m still young.”

Befitting one of the best rivalries in golf, the race to the Race between Ko and Park was a photo finish, with the outcome riding on Ko’s final short stroke for bogey on the 72nd hole.

“It came down to the last hole, last putt,” said Ko, whose penultimate shot lipping out closed out a spate of uncharacteristically balky play with her flat stick.

“I think we get a fine if we break a club,” Ko, who carded a final-round even-par 72, said about her growing frustrations on the greens. “I did really want to throw my putter in the bush or in the water. It’s a good thing the water is not there on every hole ... Obviously I did get really frustrated.”

She was not alone. World No. 3 Stacy Lewis gave the ground a couple of thumps with her wedge after needing two shots to emerge from a difficult lie under the lip of the bunker on the par-3 16th.

Park, as even-keeled a player as Ko, exhibited atypical irritation when she knocked her driver on the turf after pulling her drive off the 18th tee.

“I felt so much pressure out there today. I was struggling with that left shot yesterday and the day before. I was trying to avoid the left shot, but it just came in the right moment,” Park explained. “And I’ve probably done that before but you haven’t seen it.”

As for Ko, shattering records is hardly novel for the teen phenom, who owns the following marks, among others:

To put Ko’s latest achievement in perspective, here’s a look at the youngest PoY/MVP winners in golf (LPGA and PGA) and the four major sports:

(Stats via LPGA Tour)