LYDIA KO, A GOLF STAR AT 14, BUT IS SHE MISSING OUT AS A CHILD?

FROM THE STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE
She may be an international golfing superstar, but Lydia Ko, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, still relaxes by blobbing out in front of the television watching cartoons and cooking shows. Lydia Ko, 14, became the youngest female (or male) to win a professional tournament when she won the New South Wales Open at the Oatlands Golf Club on Sunday.
Coach Guy Wilson said the win was the result of years of dedication by Ko. "Her ability does not match her age," he said, meaning she has the ability of someone twice her age.
Ko moved to North Shore, New Zealand from South Korea when she was five and puts golf before anything else in her life, he said.
"It's all she knows," Wilson said.
Every week Ko trains between 30 to 50 hours, including three sessions with a physiotherapist, two with a personal trainer and regularly working on mental performance, alongside the hours clocked up on the golf course, Wilson said. "Half the reason why she's been so successful is because she's South Korean. It's why you don't find too many successful Kiwi kids, because the work ethic isn't there."
Like most teens, she enjoys eating chocolate and lollies and is not restrained by a sporting diet, although her South Korean heritage means she eats a lot of rice, Wilson said.
Between golf and school, Ko has very little free time. She enjoys drawing and playing the piano, but her favourite way to relax is to watch cartoons and programmes about food on television.
Pinehurst School executive principal Sherida Penman Walters said Ko's maturity is beyond her years.
"She's an absolutely unassuming young woman with a wonderful level of maturity about her."
Penman Walters said most of her classmates did not realise how well Ko is doing in the world of golf.
"She's very calm and quiet, not one of those students who said `look at me'." The Year 11 pupil misses about a third of the school year while on tour, but continues her studies while away, with teachers keeping her up to date via the internet, Penman Walters said.
"Lydia's very good at making sure she does her work."
Wilson said Ko would often stay up until the early hours if she had an assignment to complete. Meanwhile, Ko has a hectic three weeks ahead. This week she will play in the Australian Ladies Masters at Royal Pines, and the Australian Open in Melbourne next week, an event co-sanctioned with the LPGA Tour that has attracted the cream of the world's players.
The following week the pair will be in Christchurch for the New Zealand Open at Pegasus, which tees off on February 17.

SUNCOAST LADIES SERIES SCOREBOARD

RED TAIL GOLF CLUB, Sorrento, Florida (north of Orlando)

Par 72. Yardage: 6,500

THREE-ROUND STROKE-PLAY TOURNAMENT

1 Maria Hjorth Falun, Sweden 34-34--68 -4
2 Kris Tamulis Naples, Florida 36-33--69 -3
3 Kendall Wright Sugar Hill, Georgia 36-35--71 -1
T4 Jacqui Concolino Orlando, Florida 38-34--72 Even
T4 Meredith Duncan Shreveport, Louisiana 35-37--72 Even
T6 Amy Park South Korea 38-35--73 +1
T6 Emma Jandel Dayton, Ohio 34-39--73 +1
T6 Carmen Bandea Atlanta, Georgia 37-36--73 +1
T9 Brittany Johnston 38-36--74 +2
T9 Megan McChrystal Stuart, Florida 38-36--74 +2
T11 Alexandra Casi East Palestine, Ohio 37-38--75 +3
T11 Elise Swartout Ann Arbor, Michigan 34-41--75 +3
T13 Calle Nielson Nashville, Tennessee 37-39--76 +4
T13 Liz Li (amateur) Lake Mary, Florida 37-39--76 +4
T13 Ginny Brown Austin, Texas 38-38--76 +4
T13 Emily Flanigan Reunion, Florida 39-37--76 +4
T17 Nicole Hage Coral Springs, Florida 38-39--77 +5
T17 Chelcia Petersen (amateur) Davenport, Florida 39-38--77 +5
T17 Noon Huachai Bangkok, Thailand 37-40--77 +5
T20 Jenna Pearson Wheaton, Illinois 39-39--78 +6
T20 Ginger Howard Bradenton, Florida 38-40--78 +6
T22 Janine Fellows Houston, Texas 41-38--79 +7
T22 Jillian Fraccola Ft. Myers, Florida 39-40--79 +7
T24 Courtney Harter Clearwater, Florida 44-36--80 +8
T24 Susan Choi Natick, Massachusetts 41-39--80 +8
26 Brooke Marnitz Lexington, Kentucky 42-41--83 +11
27 Suzanne Stanley (amateur) Decatur, Alabama 45-39--84 +12

GIBSON AND HENDERSON OUTSIDE TOP 20 AT JACKSONVILLE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Scott Gibson from Dumfries and North Berwick's Neil Henderson finished 24th and 42nd respectively today in a quality field of 68 players for the Jacksonville University Invitational, the first event of the second half of the US college golf season.
Gibson, pictured right, a student at East Tennessee State University, had rounds of 80, 72 and 77 for a 13-over-par total of 229.
Henderson, pictured below, a Glen Golf Club member and former Scottish schoolboys champion who is now in his final year at Old Dominion University, Virginia, scored 77, 76 and 82 for 235.

Rhys Enoch from Cornwall, a senior student at East Tennessee State University, finished joint runner-up with Harold Varner (East Carolina) behind the winner, T J Vogel (Florida) over the Players' Stadium Course (7,122yd) at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Enoch scored 77, 71 and 70 for 218; Vogel 73-69-74 for 216.
There were nine British or Irish students in the competition.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72). Yardage 7,122
216 T J Vogel (Florida) 73 69 74.
218 Rhys Enoch (East Tennessee State) 77 71 70, Harold Varner (East Carolina) 74 70 74.
Selected other scores:
223 Kevin Phelan (North Florida) 72 78 73 (T11).
229 Scott Gibson (East Tennessee State) 80 72 77 (24th).
231 Rhys Pugh (East Tennessee State) 77 73 81 (T28).
233 Garth McGee (Old Dominion) 80 78 75 (T35).
234 Tom Wilde (Old Dominion) 78 82 74 (T40).
235 Neil Henderson (Old Dominion) 77 76 82 (42nd).
239 Tom Robson (Jacksonville State() 85 78 78 (T49).
257 Sam Edwards (East Tennessee State) 84 91 82 (67th).

LEADING TEAM TOTALS 
884 Florida.
899 Liberty.
902 North Florida.
909 East Carolina.
911 Coastal Carolina.
920 East Tennessee State.
923 Old Dominion.
13 Teams took part.

ISPS HANDA TO SPONSOR LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR ORDER of MERIT

Midori Miyazaki, ISPS Executive Director of International Affairs, and Alexandra Armas, Executive Director of the Ladies European Tour, making the new Order of Merit sponsor announcement at Buckinghamshire Golf Club.

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
By BETHAN CUTLER, Media Manager, L E T
A new sponsor has been announced for the Ladies European Tour’s 2012 Order of Merit. The new sponsor is ISPS Handa, founded by Japanese philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa in 2006 to support charitable causes throughout the sporting world.
The Ladies European Tour Order of Merit will now be known as the ISPS Handa Order of Merit and at the end of the season there will be a bonus of 20,000 euro for the top ranked golfer, to be awarded by Dr. Handa.
The 2012 Ladies European Tour season tees off this week with the Gold Coast RACV Australian Ladies Masters taking place at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast in Queensland from February 2-5. This will be the first event to count towards the 2012 ISPS Handa Order of Merit.
The next event will be the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open from February 9-12 and then the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open, hosted by Christchurch, from February 17-19.
The International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS) is also the title sponsor of the ISPS Handa Ladies British Masters, taking place from August 16-18, just after The Olympic Games and before the Paralympic Games.
ISPS Chairman Dr Haruhisa Handa said: “ISPS is delighted to become title sponsor of the Ladies European Tour’s Order of Merit. Given that ISPS is already the title sponsor of three tournaments on the 2012 Ladies European Tour schedule this year, it seemed a natural progression to a extend our relationship with women’s professional golf.
“The ISPS Handa Order of Merit acts as an important benchmark for the players and will offer an ideal opportunity for ISPS to further promote our mission for golf to become a Paralympic sport.”
Commenting on the new partnership, LET executive director Alexandra Armas said: “The deal with ISPS Handa is excellent for the Ladies European Tour and the bonus for the winner of the Order of Merit will provide an extra incentive for the LET members to play their best all year.
“ISPS Handa has become a loyal and generous supporter of the LET in recent years and we are delighted to be associated with them and its exciting mission for Paralympic golf.”