( CNN ) -- Tiger Woods first won on the PGA Tour until he was 20 , and world No . 1 Rory McIlroy was 19 when he managed a European Tour success . Neither can rival the prodigious Lydia Ko , a New Zealand golfer on a record-breaking rise . Ko 's three-shot victory at the Canadian Women 's Open , four months and two days after her 15th birthday , made her the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history , and the first amateur to win on the U.S. circuit since JoAnne Carter in 1969 . It has been a stellar year for the South Korea-born teen , with her record-breaking success coming two weeks after her triumph at the U.S . Amateur Championship and seven months after she became the youngest woman to win a pro tournament at the New South Wales Open . `` It feels amazing , '' she told New Zealand Golf 's official website after Sunday 's landmark win , capped off with a final five-under-par round of 67 . `` I broke the youngest record in January for the New South Wales Open and to break another record or being in the history books , it 's amazing , and it 's always awesome to be able to play with the pros . `` So I never knew I had it coming , and I was so happy to win the U.S . Amateur , to win this . I never think about it , I just wanted to make the cut . `` And when I saw that I was tied first after the second day , I was like , wow . I 'm feeling really good . And yeah , kind of surprised to have two wins in such a short time . '' The tournament at the Vancouver Golf Club came with a $ 300,000 check for the winner , but Ko will not see a cent of it . While her amateur status may be detrimental to her bank balance , some seasoned observers are advising she stays among the amateur ranks for a little longer yet . `` In the end it was a pretty comfortable win for a player who is new to this level and competing with the top 48 out of 50 money winners on the LPGA Tour , '' said New Zealand golfing legend Bob Charles , who won the 1963 British Open . `` I understand that she has expressed interest in going to college here in the States at Stanford . She has obviously shown that she is good enough but I think she would benefit from a few more years as an amateur . I am pleased to hear that she wants to stay amateur for a few more years and that she intends to get an education behind her . `` While she has endless possibilities with her golf game , you never know what is going to happen and I encourage any young player to keep up the study while they are playing golf to help with other options later in life . '' Ko echoed the views of Charles , while stressing she was keen to not forget the amateur scene which has helped her become one of the world 's most exciting young golfers . The teenager is also helped by a wealthy benefactor . Octogenarian David Levene donated some of his $ 220 million fortune to Ko earlier this year , which meant she could retain her amateur status and continue with her education . `` I 'll still remain an amateur and then finish high school and then go to college in the States , '' Ko said on the LGPA 's official website . `` I mean this is a great win , but I do n't think this will affect me changing my roots to my career . '' New Zealand Golf chief executive Dean Murphy hailed Ko 's triumph as a landmark day in the history of the sport in the country . `` She has delivered one of the great days in New Zealand golf history , '' said Murphy . `` Lydia has beaten a field of world-class professionals at the age of 15 . `` It is not only a standout achievement in the history of New Zealand golf but also in the annals of New Zealand sport . Perhaps the most exciting thing with Lydia is , the best is yet to come . '' The Auckland-based Ko , who has rocketed 140 places up the world rankings to 45th , will now turn her attention to the British Open -- which begins on September 13 . After finishing tied for 39th at July 's U.S. Open , her first major , many will be expecting Ko to carry her current form into one of the sport 's four marquee events . Ko is being backed to succeed by one of her Kiwi forerunners , Marnie McGuire , who managed three third-place finishes -- one outright and two tied -- during her LPGA career . `` She will have more opportunities and obligations than she can possibly fulfill , '' said the 43-year-old , who turned pro in 1992 after graduating from Oklahoma State University and established herself in Japan before returning to the U.S. `` She needs to make sure she keeps the enjoyment in her game because that is one of the things that has made her successful . `` Yes she has missed out on the $ 300,000 but it is never about the money . She will be well supported for the rest of her life . It is never about the money though . It is about the achievement of winning and in Lydia 's case creating history . ''
Lydia Ko became the youngest ever LPGA Tour winner on Sunday . The 15-year-old is the first amateur to win on the Tour since JoAnne Carter in 1969 . New Zealander 's non-professional status means she missed out on $ 300,000 prize money . South Korea-born Ko plans to remain amateur and attend college in the U.S .