WASHINGTON, Oct 14 – Lydia Ko, the South Korean-born teenage golfer from New Zealand, was named one of the 25 most influential teens of the year by the Time magazine on Monday, along with the two daughters of U.S. President Barack Obama.
“After going pro last year, Ko now ranks third among women golfers worldwide, sparking interest in the sport ‘not just in her native South Korea and adopted homeland of New Zealand but also among juniors across the globe,’ as golf legend Annika Sorenstam wrote in this year’s Time 100,” the magazine said.
In April, Ko, 17, was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Ko is also the youngest millionaire in the history of LPGA, the Time said.
The other influential teens included Obama’s daughters — Sasha Obama, 13, and Malia Obama, 16.
Malia has emerged as a figure of national interest, the magazine said, adding that her appearance at Chicago’s Lollapalooza Music Festival caused almost as much of a stir as the musicians themselves, and her name has spiked in popularity after her father’s election.
Sasha has become an icon in her own right, it said.
“After (Sasha) being photographed in a unicorn sweatshirt, the style sold out at the fashion shop ASOS in a matter of days,” it said.
