Teenage star Lydia Ko signs with IMG after launching LPGA career

Published Dec. 12, 2013 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Lydia Ko, who earned an exemption to join the LPGA Tour in October as a 16-year-old, has signed with management company IMG.

Born in South Korea and raised in New Zealand, Ko is already No. 4 in the rankings and won the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters last week in Taiwan in her second start as a professional.

She won the Women's Canadian Open at 15 last year to become the youngest winner in tour history and defended the title this year.

Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie are among the golfers represented by IMG.

Guy Kinnings, global head of golf at IMG, says in a statement on Thursday that Ko ''is an incredibly impressive young lady and an astonishing player.''