It’s her last chance. The record holder for the longest reigning world No. 1 (163 weeks), 28-year-old Jin Young Ko (Solaire), will attempt to win the final major on the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour.
With her goal this year being to reclaim her major queen crown, she will be playing with a sense of urgency. After the final major of the season, she will be competing in her homeland for the first time in two years, so attention will be focused on whether she can bring home the gold.
Ko will compete in the Amundi Evian Championship ($6.5 million purse), which begins on Sept. 27 at Evian Resort Golf Club (par 71-6527) in Evian-les-Bains, France. Ko will be looking to repeat as champion after a four-year absence, having won her second major title at the event in 2019.안전놀이터
After winning her second title of the season, Ko said, “My biggest goal is to stay healthy until the end of the season. It’s more important to have fun and play well in each tournament than to win the title,” she said, adding, “If I could add a title, I would like it to be a major.” She finished tied for ninth at the Chevron Championship, the first major of the season, tied for 20th at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and missed the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Jin Young Ko waves to the gallery.
With only one top-10 finish in three majors, her pride was bruised. It’s likely she’s looking forward to the final major of the season with trepidation. The reasons to win are obvious.
The red light is on for the world’s No. 1 shooter. Only 0.23 separates her from second-place Nellie Coda (USA). It’s been a slippery slope, with her lead down to 0.02 last week. Her fans are hoping that she can widen the gap by winning a major and stay at the top until the end of the season.
Jin Young Ko in action. Photo | LPGA
Ko will also have to deal with the fact that she hasn’t won a crown since she was crowned Major Queen twice in 2019. Her comeback from a wrist injury, and her absence from the majors during the COVID-19 pandemic, will allow her to make an issue of the end of the pandemic and the return of the world No. 1.
Most importantly, she will return home immediately after the Evian Championship to compete on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour. Ko will play in the Jeju Samdasu Masters, which kicks off next month on March 3. The 2017 winner will be playing in front of her home fans for the first time in more than two years and 10 months since the BMW Ladies Championship co-hosted by the LPGA and KLPGA in October 2021.
Ko’s caddie, David Brucker (left), has experience with both Lorena Ochoa, who holds the record for the longest time at No. 1, and Ko. Photo courtesy of the LPGA Tour
The Samdasoo Masters also features a program that allows top domestic players to give one-on-one lessons to young aspiring golfers, giving the next generation of stars even more incentive to take home the gold.
The Evian Championship has been a major event since 2013. Shin Ji-ae won the title in 2010 and Park In-bee in 2012, while Kim Hyo-joo (2014), Jeon In-ji (2016), and Ko Jin-young (2019) won the title after the promotion.