‘It Makes Me Humble’: World No. 1 Jin Young Ko Expresses Her Incredible ‘Honor’ as She Aims to Surpass LPGA Legend at $9,000,000 Major 

The 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship promises much thrill and excitement to fans, with the biggest names in the LPGA headlining this year’s field. From past winners like In Gee Chun and Nelly Korda to fan favorites like Rose Zhang and Minjee Lee, the 156-player field for the year’s second major is highly stacked.

Among the competing players is World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, who stands to script history in the coming days. Ahead of the tournament at the Baltusrol Golf Club, Ko got candid about the possibility of her setting a new benchmark in women’s golf!

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko sets eyes on an incredible target

Earlier this week, fans of South Korean golfer Jin Young Ko were in for a pleasant surprise as she matched a record set by LPGA great and World Golf Hall of Famer Lorena Ochoa. Ko, who returned to World No. 1 on the back of her Founders Cup win last month, tied the Mexican legend for the most number of weeks spent at the helm of the rankings.

The 27-year-old reached No. 1 for the very first time in April of 2019 and has had five different spells at the top since then. Her longest stint lasted for 100 consecutive weeks between July 2019 and June 2021.

This week marked Ko’s 158th at the top, equaling the amazing record set by Ochoa between 2007 and 2010. So, how does the 2-time major winner feel about the stunning feat? “It’s an honor people saying with Lorena and me in same sentence,” she shared in a press conference at Baltusrol on Wednesday.

“It makes me happy, but also it makes me humble,” she further added. “It’s great to honor, to stand with Lorena.” While Ko eyes a third major win, she will also have the chance to overtake Ochoa.

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The 15-time LPGA Tour winner currently boasts an average ranking point of 8.28, with Nelly Korda on her heels at 7.60. Meanwhile, Lydia Ko, who was at No. 1 at the beginning of the year, is at No. 3 with 7.35 points. Both Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko are competing at the 69th Women’s PGA Championship as well.

Players to watch out for at the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Over the coming days, the renowned Lower Course at Baltusrol will see the biggest LPGA stars come out all guns blazing for the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. 43 of the top 50 in the Rolex Women’s Golf Ranking are part of this year’s competitive field. The likes of Nelly Korda, Jin Young Ko, Lilia Vu, and more are heavy fan favorites, given their performances so far in 2023.

Korda, who finished solo third at April’s Chevron Championship, will be hoping to nab the second major win of her career. Meanwhile, World No. 1 Ko has the chance to not only overhaul Loren Ochoa’s record but also win her third major title. This week, Lilia Vu has the chance to become the first player since Jin Young Ko in 2019 to win two majors in a season. The 2023 Chevron Championship winner returns to action after missing the Tour competition for three weeks due to a back injury.

Another golfer that fans have high expectations from is Rose Zhang, especially after a blistering start to her professional career just days ago. This is Zhang’s first time competing at this particular major event. However, she has had two starts in every other women’s major, recording a remarkable six cuts in a total of eight starts.

The tournament will be held from June 22–25. The field will be competing for an incredible $9,000,000 purse, second only to the $10,000,000 purse at next month’s US Women’s Open.

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Do you think Jin Young Ko will be able to achieve this stunning feat in the coming days? Let us know in the comments!