Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee are two of the biggest names from down under. Combined, they have 30 LPGA Tour victories, including four majors. Both are in Paris right now to represent their countries in the Olympics. In the financial game, Kiwi International appears to have beaten her Aussie counterpart, even before the game started.

Per Forbes, Lydia Ko was 14th on the list of highest-paid female athletes in 2022. Ko’s jaw-dropping achievements can be measured by a mere glance at the LPGA career money list. The Kiwi International is the fifth highest-paid female golfer of all time, with $17,742,397 in her bank account. 

The curious thing is that the one ahead of her and the ones behind her have all retired from professional golf. Annika Sorenstam tops that list, while Inbee Park sits just ahead of Lydia Ko. Only $519K separates the two. 

Roughly two titles might erase the gap; Ko earned a $225K paycheck for her 20th career victory early this year at the HGV Tournament of Champions. And, if she can add one more major to her CV, she will easily usurp the South Korean at the fourth spot.

Minjee Lee, a year older than Ko, sits in the 11th spot. The 28-year-old has earned $14,508,899 courtesy of her 10 LPGA Tour triumphs. Lee’s most recent victory came at the 2023 Kroger Queen City Championship, where she pocketed $300,000. 

So, currently, the difference between the two is $3.2 million, or worth two majors, or roughly 8–10 LPGA Tour victories. It might look unlikely for Lee to overtake her Kiwi neighbor. But let’s not forget that Ko has spoken of her desire to hang up her clubs soon.

That would give Lee roughly a decade to topple Lydia Ko from her spot, or at least come closer. Considering the rapid pace with which tournament purses are increasing, Lee’s future triumphs will be worth more in financial terms than Ko’s 20 victories. 

Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee’s earnings show the changed LPGA landscape

The LPGA Tour purse has increased by more than 80% since 2019. This year, the Chevron Championship had $7.9 million in the offer, a bump of $1.7 million compared to the last year. The U.S. Women’s Open had a purse size of $12 million, up from last year’s $11 million. The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship had a purse of $10.4 million. Comparably, in 2021, Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee played for only $4.8 million at the Highlands.

Juli Inkster sits just behind Minjee Lee on the LPGA’s all-time career money list. It took Inkster 714 starts and 31 career titles, including seven majors, to cross the $14 million mark. Lee, on the other hand, has played only 220 events so far. Similarly, Inbee Park needed 305 starts and Cristie Kerr needed 599 starts to earn $18M and $20M, respectively. Ko took only 239 appearances to come within touching distance of both.