Lydia Ko's coach David Leadbetter believes the New Zealand teenager is primed to dominate women's golf like few others, having broken through yesterday to win her first major championship.
Lydia Ko wins 2015 Evian Championship. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Ko has closed the gap on South Korean Inbee Park for the world No.1 ranking after her six-shot win on Monday at the Evian Championship in France, and Leadbetter believes the floodgates will open now that she's won her first major title.
Ko said it was cool to think she's the youngest winner of a major title in history.
That a golfer could be under pressure to win a major at the age of 18 has been one of the LPGA Tour's more absurd talking points this season, so Ko was naturally delighted to torpedo the debate with her victory.
Barely old enough to toast the win with an alcoholic drink in New Zealand, Ko's six-stroke cakewalk at Evian-Les-Bains made her the youngest player to clinch one of the LPGA's five major tournaments.
Since winning her first professional event in Australia at the age of 14, Ko's extraordinary talent has never been in doubt and in February she became the youngest world No.1 in just her second full season as a professional.
But the clamour to validate herself with a major has been a heavy weight on the teenager's shoulders, and tears welled in her eyes as she approached her final hole with an unassailable five-stroke lead.
"Winning at any age is amazing at a major. All players want to peak at the their best at a major. To say that I'm the youngest in history for now is so cool," Ko said.
"The big thing for me is that I won't be asked that (major) question again."
The only question left for Ko, who was 18 years, four months and 20 days old when she lifted the trophy, was how many more she can win.
Ko will be mindful that American Morgan Pressel, who she eclipsed as the youngest major winner, made a similar splash when she won the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship at the age of 18 years and 313 days.
Pressel has won just one LPGA event in the eight years since.
Ko's coach Leadbetter believes the Seoul-born prodigy is now ready to dominate the game.
"At the age of 18 it's incredible what she's done, and the potential for the future."
"The floodgates will really open now that she's won her first major and got that so-called monkey off her back... The confidence is now there, she's really ready now to take the game by the scruff of the neck."
Ko became only the third New Zealander to win a major, with Michael Campbell and Sir Bob Charles winning one each on the men's tour.
She can expect a hero's reception when she returns to Auckland, where local media have called for a ticker-tape parade.
