Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and the boys of the PGA Tour may dominate the headlines and garner all the attention in golf and that’s a shame. Contrary to popular thought it isn’t all about Tiger.
It should be all about Lydia Ko, a seventeen year old that is breaking records and setting the sports world on its collective ass. 
Ko won the Australian Women’s Open yesterday and proved once again that she is the best female golfer on the planet and some will argue the best golfer period. At the very least, she is the most over looked champion in any popular sport.
It’s a shame that she isn’t getting more press because she is possibly the best story in all of sport.
Her win at the Australian Women’s Open made her the youngest Aussie winner ever and added to her total of nine professional wins and her sixth LPGA title. The win further cements he position atop the world golf rankings.
But Ko has been “the youngest” everything lately. She is the youngest winner of a professional event. She was 14 years when she won that as an amateur.
She is the youngest ever to win a LPGA event, the youngest ever world number one and on and on and on.
Ko’s win at Royal Melbourne is her first of the ’15 season. In her only other start she finished second. She won the season ending tour championship, CME Titleholders and the Race to the CME Globe which pocketed her a million dollar check.
Why isn’t she the lead story on any sports page? Why isn’t she the main conversation in sport? Why is the golf world is still focused on the troubles of Tiger when Ko is such a wonderful story?
First of all, Ko plays in one of the most over looked sports in America: ladies golf. Golf fans love the long ball and the power on the men’s game and of course there is the story that never stops: Tiger Woods.
If a male golfer had accomplished what Ko has he’d have already been elected president, been Time’s Man of the Year and have more endorsement deals than Peyton Manning.
Michelle Wie is the most popular female golfer and recently her play has risen to her level of popularity. But her popularity is as much a result of her misfortunes as a young golfer as it is for her current play. It doesn’t hurt that she’s an attractive six footer that plays a man’s long game.
For years Natalie Gulbis was, and still is one of the most popular golfers on any women’s tour. Her bombshell looks, striking blonde hair and vibrant smile made her a sponsors dream. She has one career win in thirteen years on tour.
Maybe part of the issue is that Ko’s story is a positive story and many choose to revel in the misfortune of others such as Tiger’s scandal and on course issues.
Ko is a slight, tiny seventeen year old who hails from New Zealand but could be mistaken for one of the many Asian players on tour. Until this season she played with large oversized glasses which she has now replaced with contact lenses.
She doesn’t play the long ball game. She rarely outdrives anyone but uses a smart, controlled game to work her way around the course.
She won’t be mistaken for a swimsuit model and seems to care more about reading her latest book than promoting herself.
She’s a thoughtful, honest young woman who gives honest and respectful answers to all. Recently she spoke of doing other things in her life like getting a psychology degree and planning to retire from golf at 30. “I say my plan is to retire when I’m 30 so I’m not just going to go to the beach and hang out for the rest of my life,”
There’s always a second career that comes along with it, and I’m trying to build up towards it, and because I’m playing a sport, psychology links well with it.”
If Ko does decide to leave golf at 30 that gives us 13 years to still watch one of the greatest stories in sport.
More people should pay attention.
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