After Going Through Tough Times at Her Last LPGA Event, Will Lydia Ko Play at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship?

In the world of women’s golf, few names carry as much weight as Lydia Ko. With two major wins and an impressive track record, Ko has solidified herself as an LPGA icon. However, her recent outings on the greens have left fans wondering about her form and performance.

With the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship just days away, many questions arise. With many prominent LPGA stars like Jin Young Ko and Nelly Korda taking to the field for the youngest women’s major, many are wondering if Lydia Ko will join them. Or will her string of misfortunes continue? Let’s find out.

Lydia Ko qualifies for the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship.

To secure a spot in the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship, players must meet specific criteria. Qualification categories include past Evian champions, invitees, top-10 finishers from the previous year’s Evian Championship, major winners from the previous five years, LPGA tournament winners, LET Order of Merit leaders, amateur champion exemptions, CME Globe Points leaders, and CME Globe Point leaders. So does Ko qualify?

Putting it simply, yes. The criteria admit 50 of the top-ranked golfers into the event, and Ko, through her impressive track record, has been within those ranks for quite a while now. She currently ranks third as per the Rolex Rankings and has hence unquestionably earned an invite to the prestigious championship!

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Lydia Ko’s journey to the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship, however, hasn’t been without its challenges. In the past 10 tournaments on the LPGA, she has struggled to find her winning form. She finished in the top 10 only once and missed the cut twice. Moreover, during the Dana Open, things took a bizarre turn!

The controversial incident at the 2023 Dana Open

During the final round of the event, Ko was informed on the 11th hole that she had improperly played preferred lies at various points throughout the day. Preferred lies were allowed only on holes 1 and 10, but Ko unintentionally played them on the 3rd, 4th, and 9th holes. As a result, she received three two-stroke penalties for playing from the wrong place on those holes, and on the 11th hole, she incurred an additional one-stroke penalty.

The world No. 3 took to her Instagram story to address the incident and take responsibility for her mistake. She acknowledged that the 7-stroke penalty she received was justified. The LPGA star further explained that she had failed to thoroughly read the tournament memos. Ko made it clear that the blame should not be placed on her team, including the temporary caddie who was filling in for her regular caddie at the Dana Open.

Even though these turbulent times and incidents have been at the forefront of Ko’s time on the course, she has still found herself a spot in the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship field. But will she be able to break through her unfortunate streak and perform well at the event? Tune in to find out!

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