Dame Lydia Ko is within touching distance of one of the LPGA Tour’s biggest career milestones, but the New Zealand star says prize money records are far from her motivation.
Ko entered the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii just US$223,228 behind Annika Sorenstam on the LPGA Tour’s all-time career earnings list.
Sorenstam remains No 1 with US$22,583,693 in official LPGA earnings, while Ko has climbed to US$22.36 million across 278 career starts.
A strong week at Hoakalei Country Club could therefore see the 29-year-old Kiwi move past one of the greatest players in women’s golf.
The LOTTE Championship carries a US$3 million purse, with US$450,000 going to the winner. A solo second-place finish would also provide enough for Ko to move ahead of Sorenstam.
But Ko believes comparing their career earnings overlooks how dramatically prize money has increased since Sorenstam dominated the tour.
“To be honest, it’s really not on my mind,” Ko said.
“Annika had 70-plus wins, and we are just playing in a very different generation where we’re playing for so much more money.”
Sorenstam won 72 LPGA Tour titles, including 10 majors, during one of the most dominant careers the women’s game has seen.
Ko believes that record carries far greater significance than where the pair sit on the career money list.
“For me, winning as many as I can while I’m playing is more important than how much money I make,” she said.
“Even if I win the smallest purse out here, that still matters because I won an LPGA event.”
Ko also pointed to the continued growth of women’s golf, with larger tournament purses and increased commercial opportunities transforming the financial landscape for today’s players.
The season-ending CME Group Tour Championship is one example, offering an US$11 million purse and US$4 million to the winner. Ko won the event in 2022, when the first prize was US$2 million.
World No 1 Nelly Korda is also closing rapidly on Sorenstam’s career mark and sits just behind Ko on the all-time list, although the American is not competing in Hawaii this week.
For Ko, however, the motivation remains unchanged.
“I’m very grateful to be in this position and be able to excel at my job and have great payout days,” she said.
“But obviously I want to win as many as I can. I’m still eager for the trophy more so than the prize.”
