Is Lydia Ko Playing in the 2023 US Women’s Open?

With the KPMG PGA Championship 2023 done and dusted, it’s time to focus on the next major in women’s golf: the US Women’s Open. This highly coveted tournament will take place from July 6 to July 9 at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California.

On the field, a number of elite athletes will be present to enhance their trajectories. Be that as it may, fans are curious if Lydia Ko, who has long been outspoken about challenges in women’s golf, will be participating in the tournament. Keep on reading to get the answer.

Will fans see Lydia Ko at the US Women’s Open field?

Lydia Ko is a prodigy who took everyone by storm when she won her first major at the 2015 Evian Championship. At that time, she was only 17 years old. Ko, who is now ranked third on the Rolex rankings, has a solid track record.

She has won two majors but the US Women’s Open title is still not on her resume. She indeed has yet another opportunity to tick this box. But how did she qualify for the event in the first place?

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The players with the 10 lowest scores and those who tie for the 10th-place finish in US Open 2022 meet the eligibility requirements. In the US Open last year, she finished fifth and took home the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average as well as the LPGA Player of the Year award for 2022. This got her exemption at the upcoming event.

With victories at the BMW Ladies Championship and the CME Group Tour Championship, the former World No. 1 finished the previous year on a high note. Ko, though, hasn’t been able to deliver the same magic this year. She hasn’t claimed any LPGA Tour triumphs this year. She finished tied 57th at the KPMG PGA Championship earlier this month. The Pebble Beach event can be her redemption!

The two-time major champion talks about the venue

The thrill is palpable since this is the first time Pebble Beach is hosting the women’s championship after staging the men’s championship on six occasions. When Lydia Ko heard about the venue, she couldn’t contain her excitement. “When it was announced, I was like, Woah! I would have never imagined myself playing a tournament there,” 19-time LPGA Tour winner says.

She said that this venue is on every golfer’s bucket list. For her, the venue suits a major championship perfectly well. “I play alongside the best female golfers and I see no reason why the LPGA and the best of the best women golfers should not be playing at these kinds of locations,” Ko adds.

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Are you also excited to see Lydia Ko at the upcoming major? For whom are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below.