Teenaged South Korea-born New Zealand golf prodigy Lydia Ko has reportedly officially turned professional.
Ranked fifth in the world, the 16-year-old Ko, who has confirmed the decision via a YouTube video posted on Twitter in which she features in a skit, had been blocked from 1.2 million dollars in winnings because of her amateur status.
According to Stuff.co.nz, however, Ko, who has become the youngest ever player to win a professional event when she claimed the New South Wales Open in 2012, is now eligible to collect winnings and set to compete in her first tournament as a professional in November.
Hailing Ko, New Zealand Golf chief executive Dean Murphy said that it is a milestone day for Ko, adding that her amateur record, which is unlikely to be matched by a 16-year-old ever again, ranks among the greats of the game.
Murphy further said that Ko has won four professional titles, claimed the US and Australian Amateur titles, climbed to World No.4 on the World Rankings and has been the World No.1 amateur for more than two years without ever losing that title.