Lydia Ko completes another great LPGA Tour season
Lydia Ko with her greatest moment in 2024 – the Olympic Gold Medal
A final round of 63 at the CME Group Tour Championship has brought to a close the official LPGA season for Lydia Ko, a season which saw her win her opening event of the year in Hawaii, slump by her standards through the middle stages of the season but produce a remarkable run of form from August onwards.
Ko began the year in 10th place in the Rolex World ranking but in the last four months has produced three victories including the Olympic Gold Medal, the AIG Women’s Open Championship and the Kroger event in Ohio, has four other top tens and will finish the season in 4th place on the Rolex World Ranking and with earnings of US$3.2 million, her second best season’s earnings.
Ko finished in 3rd place behind Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul in the US$11 million event, Thitikul winning US$4 million as her winning share of the purse, while Ko secured a cheque for US$500,000 to take her carer earnings beyond US$20 million.
Ko’s next event will be the Grant Thornton Invitational in Naples, Florida where she will partner Jason Day in the defence of their title.
“It’s honestly been crazy,” said Ko referring to her roller coaster year. “The things that I could have only asked for all came true. Even just winning the first tournament of the year after having one of my worst seasons last year.
“So actually winning Grant Thornton at the end was a bit of a confidence booster even though I still had a month until Tournament of Champions.
“It’s been unbelievable. There were points where I was struggling with my game during the middle of the season, but then at the right place at the right time I was able to bring it back at the Canadian Open and then go on from there.
“Just to be able to finish on a high this week, but this summer and pretty much from August it’s been crazy. I was joking that I should change my birthday to August 2024. Might be the oldest one year old out there.
“It’s just I think no matter what and no matter what’s ahead of me, 2024 is going to be a special one. Going to be a year that I’m going to always look back on and know that I can’t take in moment for granted.”
Ko is looking forward to reuniting with Jason Day ahead of the Grant Thornton, marvelling at his game last year when meeting him for the first time.
“We made such great memories. Coming into the week I had never met Jason. We were starting from a blank page. I feel like just through the event I was able to have this amazing friendship that I’ll take forever.
“I saw him at the Olympics, at the Genesis Invitational as well. It’s just been like awesome because he’s someone I’ve always seen on TV for a really long time. To think he’s my partner, I think I was able to play with more freedom which is obviously a little different situation here.”
“I’m excited and I’m excited to learn from him and just be alongside him and just get his good energy.”
Hannah Green finished as the leading Australian on the LPGA Tour in 7th place, Gabi Ruffels was 32nd, Grace Kim 46th and Minjee Lee 54th.
