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LPGA: Lydia Ko has reached the top of the world rankings at the age of just 17

Image: Lydia Ko fell short in Florida but has taken over at the top of the rankings nevertheless

New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko has become golf’s youngest ever World No 1 even though she squandered a four-shot lead at the season-opening LPGA Coates Championship.

Ko ended up finishing joint-second behind Choi Na-Yeon of South Korea and that was just enough for her to overtake Inbee Park, who finished joint-13th, at the top of the rankings.

The South Korean-born prodigy reaches the summit at the age of 17 years, nine months and seven days, eclipsing the age marks of US golfing great Tiger Woods, who was 21 when he became World No 1 for the first time in 1997, and South Korea’s Shin Ji-Yai, who was the youngest previous women's No 1 at the age of 22 in 2010.

It is another historic achievement for Ko, who won the 2012 and 2013 LPGA Canadian Women's Open titles as an amateur, the first of those at age 15 which made her the youngest winner in LPGA history.

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She turned professional and joined the LPGA tour in 2014, when she won three titles, was named LPGA Rookie of the Year, and captured the season-ending Tour Championship and the season points prize.

She began the final day at the Coates Championship in Orlando with a one-shot advantage and was four clear after starting with back-to-back birdies.

However, searching for her first victory since 2012, Choi birdied three holes in a row from the third and the duo then traded blows, Ko reclaiming a one-shot edge when she rolled in an incredible birdie putt from 60 feet away at the 15th while Choi made bogey, three-putting from six feet.

But it all went wrong for Ko at the 17th where she found a bunker and then some pine trees down the right, eventually doing well to hole out for double-bogey.

Choi made a four there to lead by one and another rock-solid par at the final hole gave her a round of 68 and a winning score of 16-under-par.

Ko, meanwhile, got up and down from a bunker at 18 to become World No 1. She carded a 71 to tie for second with Jessica Korda (66) and Ha Na Jang (70).

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