Lydia Ko

Twice a winner of the LPGA Tour’s Canadian Open as an amateur – the first of those in 2012 made the then 15-year-old the circuit’s youngest-ever champion – she was only 16 when she nearly tasted even bigger success.

In the Evian Championship’s inaugural staging as a major Ko, still an amateur, led with 17 holes to play before eventually finishing second, two strokes behind Suzann Petersen.

Back at the same event two years later the New Zealander, by then a professional and having already attained world No.1 in record time, did become the youngest-ever holder of a women’s major, winning by six after a closing 63 that was the lowest closing round in the history of women’s majors.

She added the ANA Inspiration in April 2016 and last year almost regained that title, a last round 62 taking her from eight shots behind to second place, two behind Patty Tavatanakit.

Ko is a two-time winner of the Smyth Salver for the lowest amateur at the AIG Women's Open, finishing tied for 17th overall on debut in 2012, before sharing the trophy with home favourite Georgia Hall the following year.

Her best finish at an AIG Women's Open was tied third in 2015, while she also secured a top 10 finish with a tied seventh place in the AIG Women's Open 2022 at Muirfield.