Lydia Ko Becomes Youngest Golfer to Win a Pro Event; How Old Were Prolific Athletes Like Tiger Woods When They Achieved Early Success?

Lydia Ko is the youngest golfer-- male or female-- to win a professional event. She won the New South Wales Open just over a year ago to make that claim and has since become the youngest player in LPGA Tour history to win a tournament, and she recently won the New Zealand Women's Open on her own turf.

Ko-- just 15 yeard old-- is one of many athletes to achieve early-career success. She has good company in some of the others who have won tournaments as amateurs or youthful pros in the past.

Tiger Woods is the youngest golfer to ever win The Masters Tournament, claiming his first green jacket at age 21.

Michelle Wie was the youngest player to ever qualify for a USGA amateur championship at age 10.

Rory McIlroy was the youngest player to ever reach 10 million Euros in career earnings on the European Tour in 2011, and achieved a similar feat the following year: in 2012, McIlroy became the youngest player to reach $10 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour.

Earlier this season, 23-year-old Russell Henley won his first tournament on the PGA Tour at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Maria Sharapova won WImbledon when she was just 17 in 2004.

The last decade or so isn't the only time young players have ruled the roost. The youngest men's tennis player to win a Grand Slam was Michael Chang in 1989. He won the French Open at age 17.

Players born in the mid-1800's through the early 1900's currently hold the respective marks in three golf majors: Young Tom Morris won the 1868 British Open at 17 1/2 years old, John J. McDermott took home the 1911 U.S. Open Championship before turning 20 and Gene Sarazen won the 1922 PGA Championship before he was 21.

Current Philadelphia 76ers big man Andrew Bynum is the youngest player to ever make his NBA debut, playing his first game six days after his 18th birthday.

Joe Nuxhall is the youngest player to sit in a Major League Baseball dugout in between stints in the field. He was 15 years old when he first pitched for the Cincinnati Reds.