Lydia Ko can overtake Annika Sorenstam’s LPGA prizemoney record with top-three finish at US Women’s Open
Thursday, 4 June 2026
What: US Women’s Open. Where: Riviera Country Club, Los Angeles. When: Lydia Ko tees off 8.14am Friday (NZT), coverage from 6am, Sky Sport 1.
After an amicable “break up” with her putter, and encouraging start with a new one, two monumental milestones beckon Dame Lydia Ko at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.
The Kiwi world No 10 is scheduled to tee off at 8.14am Friday (NZT) at her 15th US Women’s Open, fresh from a top-10 finish at the Queen City Championship.
It’s the first of two chances this month for Ko to complete a coveted career grand slam, which requires victory in either the US Women’s Open or the PGA Championship starting on June 26 (wins in four of the five women’s majors constitute a ‘career slam’).
More significantly, Ko is within reach of overtaking the great Annika Sorenstam’s LPGA earnings record of US$22.58 million (NZ$38.45m).
The 29-year-old banked US$43,000 from her tie for eighth in Cincinnati three weeks ago, boosting her career earnings to US$21.8 million (NZ$37.13m).
With $US12 million up for grabs at the Women’s Open this weekend, a top-three finish (which carries a minimum US$1 million cheque) would be enough for Ko to move past Sorenstam to No 1 all-time on the money list.
Not that Ko feels entirely comfortable in the same company as the Swedish legend who won 72 LPGA tournaments and 10 majors before retiring in 2008.
“To be honest, it's hard to compare myself to her record just because she won 70-something times and 90-something times worldwide. I think I've won a decent amount, having 23, but 70-something is a completely different level than what I've done,” Ko told a press conference in Los Angeles.
“We’re playing in a very different generation right now. You win CME, you get US$3 million. Jeeno (Thitikul, world No 2) has played two tournaments, and she's won like US$6 million-plus…
“It's cool to be compared to that record and hopefully surpass it at some point, but it's very hard to compare it because we are playing for a lot more money than she did back in that day.
“For me, the win count is a little bit more meaningful. Not that the money isn't meaningful. Obviously we're very grateful that we get to play for a lot more money, and the last few majors, it's been like a million dollar purse increase starting in LA.
“So it's very exciting for the women's game, but record-wise, no, I just feel like I'm like an ant and she’s - I don't know what the biggest bug or living thing is - but she's that.”
Ko played her first US Open in 2012 when still an amateur, and her best finish remains a tie for third in 2016, then a fifth placing four years ago at Pine Needles Lodge and Gold Club.
She was tied for 26th at Erin Hills a year ago behind Swede Maja Stark.
This year Ko has been consistent without adding to her win tally, finishing top-10 in four of her nine events.
She shot a sizzling 12-under-par 60 in the first round in Phoenix in March with a new putter, and announced before her most recent tournament she had ditched it.
“We broke up. I’m not with that putter any more which is funny because a lot of people would say: ‘why would you change from the putter that you shot 60 with?’. I think it was just a one-off, one-day honeymoon,” Ko said last month.
“It is a different look and I felt it was probably going to take time to get used to it. If I’m going to change I needed to have a changed before the US Open rather than taking the new putter into the US Open. I feel like it was a good change and I feel really good.”
Despite playing this week at the venue for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, Ko won’t be teeing it up there in two years’ time after completing the full set of medals with gold in Paris.
Ko has regularly stated she will likely retire before the end of next year when she will be 30. Asked about reconsidering for the next Olympics, she gave a flat “no”, to laughter.