Lydia Ko’s 2022 earnings haul still falls short of legend’s epic year

Last week was a fairly good one for Lydia Ko.

The 25-year-old claimed her third LPGA Tour victory of the season, in addition to a historic prize: the $2 million paycheck that got here with it on the season-ending CME Championship.

In addition to the candy payday, Ko additionally took residence a number of different honors: Player of the Year. The Vare Trophy, awarded to the participant with the year’s lowest scoring common. And the highest spot on the LPGA’s cash listing for 2022.

But regardless of the eye-popping sum that Ko pocketed in winnings this year ($4,363,403), followers could also be to know that Ko’s haul is simply the second-highest complete ever claimed within the LPGA’s historical past.

Wait, what?

It’s true. That honor belongs to the legend Lorena Ochoa, who gained a whopping eight occasions in 2007 to the tune of $4,363,994 — besting Ko’s complete by $1,591.

To put Ochoa’s season in perspective, her season included 21 occasions, eight of which she gained, together with a significant, the Women’s British Open. She completed second 5 occasions and third twice. Her worst end of the year was a tie for twentieth.

Ko’s season included three wins in 22 occasions, three third-place finishes and a worst-finish of T46.

It goes with out saying that prize cash in ladies’s golf has seen vital positive aspects since Ochoa’s heydey. This year’s cash listing runner-up, Minjee Lee, would have simply topped the cash listing in every of the final 15 years since Ochoa’s benchmark together with her tally of $3,809,960.

And even this year’s third place finisher, In Gee Chun, would have topped the listing in three of the final seven years together with her complete of $2,673,860.

Things are trending up in ladies’s golf. And although Ochoa’s complete stays the benchmark, the LPGA is about to embark on a record-setting season in 2023, with greater than $100 million in prize cash up for grabs. Perhaps subsequent year we’ll see a brand new legend emerge.

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