Lydia Ko to help with Nepal quake aid

• Lydia Ko to help those affected by Nepal earthquake
• No.1 will donate this week’s winnings from LPGA Tour event
• Recalls earthquake back in New Zealand in 2011

Lydia Ko has vowed to donate any winnings from this week’s Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout to the charities providing aid to the hundreds of thousands affected by the Nepal earthquake.

The New Zealander, who recorded her seventh LPGA Tour victory at last week’s Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, only needs $2,157 to push her over the $3million career earnings mark, but she’ll be waiting at least another tournament to pass that mark.

The world No.1 recalled the earthquake in her home country back in 2011, which devastated the city of Christchurch, and is keen to do all she can to help the Nepalese people.

“I wanted to give this tournament’s earnings and donate it to them” – Lydia Ko

“Obviously it was very unfortunate when I got to hear that there was an earthquake in Nepal,” Lydia Ko said. “We had a big one in New Zealand a couple of years ago and it affected a lot of people.

“Natural disasters you can’t do much about. Sometimes it’s hard to be prepared for it. I thought about those people there, nice people and very innocent, so I wanted to give this tournament’s earnings and donate it to them.”

Ko turned 18 last Friday en route to winning in San Francisco on Sunday, and while most would be excited about celebrating adulthood, the teenager played down reaching the milestone.

She said: “After all the usual media and all that, we went and just had Italian food, nothing different. Just a group of us went, a couple of IMG people, family and friends. Nothing different, I just turned 18.”

And with this week’s Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout taking place near Dallas, Ko offered her thoughts on Texas native and Masters champion Jordan Spieth and his achievements to date.

“He’s a Masters champion, what else do you need to say?” said Ko. “How he played Augusta, how he handled himself every round, and with the media, I think it was amazing.”

“Wire-to-wire, it’s hard to do. Sometimes you shoot a 67 and then the next day you just can’t get anything rolling. But for him to keep that kind of streak going and then the week after he came back on the second day.

“What he’s doing is pretty unbelievable and again, for his age is so cool to see.”

Lydia Ko donating winnings :: Your thoughts

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