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FIFA World Cup 2026 posterKo plays down chance to pass super Swede on money list
Reuters • June 3rd, 2026 12:27 pm
New Zealander Lydia Ko fine-tunes her bunker play ahead of this week's US Open | Photo: AP
Lydia Ko enters this week's US Women's Open with a chance to eclipse Annika Sorenstam as the biggest money-winner in women's golf, but the New Zealander doesn't believe the comparisons are fair.
"We're playing in a very different generation," 29-year-old Ko told reporters at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, the site of this year's Open, which begins on Thursday (local time).
"It's cool to be, I guess, 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."
Sweden's Annika Sorenstam won 72 tournaments across her record-setting career | Photo: AP
Ko's $US21.8 million ($A30.4 million) in earnings is second to Sorenstam's $US22.5 million ($A31.4 million).
The New Zealander has 23 wins on the LPGA Tour while Sweden's Sorenstam had 72 victories between 1995 and 2008, third all-time behind Americans Kathy Whitworth (88 from 1962-85) and Mickey Wright (82 from 1956-73).
"For me, the win count is probably a little bit more meaningful," said Ko, who has three major titles compared with 10 for Sorenstam.
"Not that the money isn't meaningful. Obviously, we're very grateful that we get to play for a lot more money ... I just feel like I'm an ant and (Sorenstam) is ... I don't know what the biggest bug or living thing is, but she's that.
Lydia Ko has no plans to compete at another Olympic Games | Photo: AP
"So, it's kind of hard to compare that because we're playing for so much more now. Hopefully in years time, they play for so much more than what we do."
Riviera Country Club is the site for the men's and women's golf competitions when Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympics.
Ko represented New Zealand in three Olympics, winning gold (Paris 2024), silver (Rio 2016) and bronze (Tokyo 2021, postponed from 2020), but has no plans to play in another.
"The only thing that I would be very excited for is because they're adding the mixed teams component," Ko said.
"That will be the only thing that I'm very jealous that I'm not a part of.
"I do take pride in competing for New Zealand at the Olympics, and I really hope that I can be a part of it somehow in some shape or form. But, no, three Olympics and that stress was enough."
