'BMW Ladies Champ' Ko Jin-young "Next Target is Sweeping All Individual Titles~"

Ko Jin-young is taking a selfie immediately after winning the BMW Ladies Championship. Photo by KLPGA

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] ‘Number 1’ Ko Jin-young (26) aims to sweep all individual titles on the LPGA Tour.

On the 24th, at the LPGA International Busan in Gijang-gun, Busan (par 72, 6,726 yards), Ko Jin-young completed a dramatic come-from-behind victory at the LPGA Tour BMW Ladies Championship (total prize money $2 million), laying the foundation for multiple titles. This was her fourth win of the season and 11th career victory, following the Founders Cup on the 11th. She rose to the top in wins and reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking from Nelly Korda (USA), which she had lost at the end of June, after four months.

Ko Jin-young also added 30 points with this tournament win in the Player of the Year category, leading with 176 points. Korda was pushed to second place with 161 points, 15 points behind. She also took first place in the CME Globe Race points with 3,400 points. Additionally, she secured a bonus of $100,000 (about 110 million KRW) awarded to the player with the most ‘top 10’ finishes in a year as extra income. However, in terms of prize money, she ranks second ($1,956,415), just behind Korda ($1,974,657).

In average score, Korda is first (69.07), and Ko Jin-young is second (69.19). With two tournaments remaining on the LPGA Tour, a comeback is still possible. The season will conclude with the Pelican Women’s Championship (total prize money $1.75 million) held on November 11 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, USA, and the CME Group Tour Championship (total prize money $5 million) on November 18 at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, USA.