By Rod Morri

Talk to Lydia Ko and she is like any teenage girl. Put a golf club in her hand, however, and she is anything but.

When she stands on the 1st tee at Victoria Golf Club later this week to begin her quest for the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open she will be the owner of five professional titles. She is 16. Take a moment to think about that.

When you finish contemplating that notion, consider the fields Ko is beating. The 2012 Canadian Women's Open, her first LPGA victory at the age of 15, featured 19 of the top-20 ranked players in the world.

Lydia Ko's pro career thus far has provided nothing but smiles for the teen. PHOTO: Getty Images

When she successfully defended that title in August last year (as the 19th ranked player in the world herself) only Stacy Lewis and Lizette Salas were missing from the top-20.

And all of this while the No.1 ranked amateur in the world, which would seem to make the decision to join the pay for play ranks easy.

However, there is more than just golf to consider when you plan on making it your career.

“It's not something where you can cancel after,” Ko says. “Once you've done it you've done it so we had to be sure it was the right thing.”

Among the considerations were school and life on the road at such a young age versus what was in the best interests of her golf.

Given Ko had played just one amateur tournament in 2013 (the Australian Amateur) and had almost nothing left to challenge her in the amateur game the decision in the end was the only logical one.

“There was nowhere left to play as an amateur really,” she says. “I would have liked to play the British Amateur a couple more times and I would have liked to play the Espirito Santo Trophy next year but I really wanted to challenge myself and turning professional was the best way to do that.”

Not that she was assured a place to play. Ko, because of her age, had to apply for special permission to join the LPGA Tour and, while Commissioner Mike Whan approved her application, it was never guaranteed.

“We didn't know what the outcome would be when I made the announcement because we hadn't lodged the petition at that time,” says Ko.

“But if it hadn't been accepted I would have played wherever I could in Asia, Europe and Australia.

“I'm glad the Commissioner passed the petition though because the LPGA is where I want to play.”

Ko attracts large, appreciative crowds no matter where she plays. PHOTO: Getty Images

Professional considerations aside it's easy to forget Ko has yet to finish high school, something she still plans on doing despite already embarking on a career.

“I still plan on going to college, too,” she says. “I want to finish high school next year and I've always wanted to go to college and I don't see any reason why I can't.

“I haven't decided what I want to study yet or which college I would like to go to but it is something I definitely want to do.”

It's estimated Ko has foregone almost US$1 million in earnings by not turning professional sooner but she herself doesn't think about such matters.

To read more of this story, get the February issue of Golf Australia magazine.