World No.1 amateur golfer Lydia Ko has confirmed she will turn professional with immediate effect.
The 16-year-old made the announcement via Twitter and also in a You Tube video with All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg on Wednesday.
The video shows the pair having a round of golf, after which Dagg says: "If you can beat me, you can definitely handle the pressure of going pro. It must be time now."
Ko replies: "OK, I'll do it."
The move had been on the cards after her mother, Tina Hyon, told GolfChannel.com earlier this month that the family had officially filed a petition seeking a waiver from the LPGA's rule requiring players to be at least 18.
At the time, Ko had applied to contest the season-ending CME Group Titleholders tournament in Florida in November from the pro ranks.
South Korean-born Ko became the youngest winner of an LPGA event when she secured the Canadian Women's Open last year as a 15-year-old.
She defended her title with a five-shot win in August and climbed to fourth on the world rankings.
New Zealand Golf chief executive Dean Murphy described Ko as an exceptional talent and wished her every success.
Murphy said Ko and Dagg had got together to promote a new golf membership campaign and "let's just say the storyline changed somewhat in the last few days".
He said Ko didn't want a traditional press conference to announce her decision.
"She didn't want to make a big fuss about news that had already been reported in the media in recent weeks," he said.
"She has also been very busy studying for exams and wanted to make this announcement in a different way."
Ko, the world's top amateur for more than two years, won four of the professional tournaments she has entered and has forgone more $US1 million ($A1.03 million) in earnings.
Share
