Ko latest in long line of LPGA teenage phenoms
- By John Hawkins
- Aug 27, 2012 11:33 AM ET
It’s perfectly OK to drool over golf’s latest phenom: 15-year-old Lydia Ko, the youngest tournament winner in LPGA history. And I’ll pass out the bibs, because perspective demands a certain mix of farsightedness, patience and emotionally unaffected analysis. Ko broke the youngest-ever record held for about 15 minutes by Lexi Thompson, who was 26 months younger than previous owner Paula Creamer, who nipped Morgan Pressel by about a month.
So I went to an LPGA event and a gymnastics meet broke out. Teenage greatness has not been much of a precursor to superstardom in women’s golf – see Pressel and Creamer for the most current evidence. While Ko’s achievement is remarkable at first blush – no eyeliner allowed at that age – it’s also the latest milepost in a trend that sees female players peaking earlier, losing interest quicker and leaving behind unfulfilled legacies.
In other words, mass salivation can be hazardous to someone’s competitive health.
Remember Michelle Wie?
Didn’t think so.
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Tags: LPGA Tour, Michelle Wie, Alexis Thompson
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