Golf: Ko to play NZ PGA Pro-Am

Lydia Ko. Photo / ALPG

Lydia Ko will play 30 tournaments in a busy schedule in 2012 and yesterday confirmed that next month's inaugural New Zealand PGA Pro-Am Championship at The Hills in Queenstown will be one of them.

Sixty-four celebrities and amateurs will be given the chance to rub shoulders with the professionals, as part of a two-ball, best ball competition over the final two days of the tournament.

Ko underlined her status as the world's best amateur when she became the youngest winner of a professional tournament at the New South Wales Open last month. Aged 14 years and nine months, she easily eclipsed the previous record of 15 years and eight months held by Japanese golfer Ryo Ishikawa, who now plies his trade on the US PGA Tour.

Ko has seldom been out of the limelight since, and in the past week received invitations to participate in the US Open and US Amateur Championships later this year, a clear sign of her growing status in world golf.

NZPGA Championship organising committee chairman John Hart said Ko was one of the first players on their list of invitees.

"We first approached Lydia to see if she would like to participate in the tournament as one of our invited celebrities pre-Christmas," Hart said. "We are delighted this tournament now will form part of her hectic schedule over the next few months.

"Her recent outstanding successes in Australia show she is undoubtedly one of New Zealand's most exciting young athletes. This tournament will be a rare opportunity for the New Zealand public to watch her in action."

Ko last year became the first recipient of the Mark H. McCormack Medal, awarded to the top-ranked golfer on the newly-established women's amateur golf ranking.

Despite her busy schedule, she jumped at the chance to play at The Hills.

"Like last year, this year has been one of many firsts, and I haven't had a minute to have a breath, however this event will be a more relaxing one for me," she said. "2012 has been amazing so far, so this week will be real fun for [coach] Guy [Wilson] and me."

Ten-time US PGA Tour winner David Frost from South Africa is among the professionals who will play alongside New Zealanders Phil Tataurangi, David Smail, Mark Brown, Michael Hendry and Gareth Paddison.