Ko Wins U.S. Women's Amateur


Lydia Ko beat Jaye Marie Green 3 & 1 in the 36-hole championship final Sunday to win the U.S. Women's Amateur. The event was held at The Country Club in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ko, a 15-year-old from New Zealand, went 1-up on the second hole and never looked back, although Green, an 18-year-old from Boca Raton, Fla., got the match to all-square thanks to a birdie on the par-5 12th hole.

But Ko regained the lead with a birdie on the par-4 17th and held on from there. Ko, the youngest player ever to win a professional event - the Bing Lee/Samsung Women's NWS Open on the ALPA in January at age 14, increased her lead to 4-up by the 26th hole. She closed out the match with a par - to Green's bogey - on the 35th hole.

Ko, who was born in South Korea and now resides in New Zealand, became the second-youngest winner in tournament history. At 15 years, three months and 18 days, she is a bit older than Kimberly Kim, who was 14 years, 11 months and 21 when she won the 2006 U.S. Women's Amateur.

For scoring details, visit http://www.usga.org/ChampEventScore.aspx?id=17179869348&year=2012&type=061.