Just 15, Lydia Ko continued to prove herself among the best women golfers in the world with a victory at last week's ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open.
The win moved Ko up to 30th in the world and would have been worth $41,000 but, alas, she's still an amateur. With Ko and company heading into this week's LPGA season opener at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open, Golf Channel's Randal Mel takes a look at exactly how much she's leaving on the table.
As a pro, Ko would have taken home $41,000 for Sunday’s win in New Zealand (as converted to U.S. currency). Ko, however, remains an amateur and didn’t take home any of it. Last year, she left $300,000 on the table winning the CN Canadian Women’s Open. She left $19,000 on the table winning the New South Wales Open.Photo: Lydia Ko celebrates her win at the NZ Women's Open on Sunday. It was her third win in a professional event (Getty Images).
In 12 starts in professional events, Ko has won three times and finished second twice. Overall, as an amateur, she has "won" more than $470,000 in professional events that she hasn’t been able to collect due to her playing status.
