Teenage sensation Lydia Ko on winning pro events aged 15

I don’t go to school much. Most of the time I’m at golf, and like the start of the year from the first eight weeks, I’m out of school. But my school understands, so that’s a good thing, and I have to mainly do all the work when I come back. So there’s lots of catch- up work to do.

I want to go to college so we’ll have to see about turning professional. But I graduate in 2014, so I’ve still got time to juggle things around.

They are my role models but I don’t want to go their path. There are so many people in New Zealand who go to college overseas, and I think that kind of inspired me.

My aunt got me started playing golf. She gave me two clubs and I just went on from there. Now all my family is supporting me, all our relatives and people back at home. They are helping me to become a bigger and better player.

The most nervous I have been was the 2012 US Open. At the 1st hole I was lining up my putt and my hands were shaking so bad. I couldn’t put the line straight. I knew I was nervous in all the other tournaments as well, but then, I don’t know why, I just couldn’t put the ball straight. I was talking to myself, like, oh, why am I this nervous. But I guess it’s the US Open, that’s why.

The biggest pressure is me being World No 1 amateur and people are expecting
things. The next thing is just playing against the big names, it’s really hard to keep up. Pressure is one of the biggest things I try to handle. But it’s not like I get a lot of pressure.
Winning the US Amateur would be my biggest win. Winning a professional event is amazing. But to me as an amateur, the US Amateur was much more meaningful.
It’s good to win it, and my mom before told me if you win I’ll get you to meet my favorite Korean movie star So Ji Sub the next day.

And I was like, oh, yeah. So after my round finishes, it was like, okay, I’m going to meet him. So I think that’s the most happiest I am for now.

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