World No 1 female amateur Lydia Ko (only 14) earns place in Aussie Open

FROM STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE

Lydia Ko in action for New Zealand in last June's Astor Trophy tournament at Fairhaven GC, Lancashire. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

FROM STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE

Lydia Ko knows that expectations will only grow as she continues to underline her status as the world's No 1 female amateur golfer.

The 14-year-old wonder girl has become the first New Zealander since Jan Higgins in 1989 to win the Australian women's amateur title, beating Victorian Breanna Elliott 4 and 3 in a 36-hole final in Melbourne at the weekend.
The victory earned her an exemption into the LPGA Tour's season-opening Women's Australian Open at Royal Melbourne in February.
"It is going to be nice to take this form into the professional events," she said. "People are going to start talking me up like I am going to win all the time.
"I don't know about that, but if I play like I played here this week, then I think I'm capable of coming in the top five in a pro event."
Ko, who finished second in qualifying behind Elliott, was never headed in the final. The South Korea-born Aucklander won the very first hole and was seven up after the 21st, although Elliott did close the gap to be four down with six to play.
Ko, who last year became the youngest winner of the New Zealand stroke-play and New Zealand amateur titles, halved the next three holes to close out the contest.
Relief was her main feeling. "She came back into the match when I made a few mistakes as I got tired - it has been a long week," Ko said. "But I always felt like I had the match under control on the second 18 holes."

Her next competition is the NSW Open, which starts in Sydney on Friday. A year ago at the same event, Ko, at 13, just failed to become the youngest winner of a professional women's tournament when she finished second, a shot behind Sweden's Caroline Hedwall.