LPGA rules mandate that a player must be 18-years-old to join the Tour. Yet, in October, the Association granted Lydia Ko’s petition to earn an exemption.
For Ko — a 16-year-old from Seoul, South Korea — the news just keeps getting better as she recently signed with IMG Worldwide for management and marketing.
“I am excited to work with my new team at IMG as I embark on my professional career,” said Ko through a statement. “My family and I spoke with many candidates and IMG emerged as the clear choice to represent me, in large part because of their global reach. I am comfortable knowing that IMG will commit the appropriate resources to help my career excel while I focus on golf.”
In 2012, Ko won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Already a winner of five professional events, Ko secured her first win on the LPGA Tour in 2013 at the CN Canadian Women’s Open at just 15 years, four months, and two days. Additionally, Ko was the first amateur in 2013 to win two LPGA events.
Guy Kinnings, Global Head of Golf at IMG, said Ko “is an incredibly impressive young lady and an astonishing player.”
IMG’s client list of women’s golfers also includes Michelle Wie, Jessica Korda, and Paula Creamer.