Dame Lydia Ko career earnings: Kiwi could top all-time LPGA earners with over $40m

Dame Lydia Ko. Photo / Getty Images

Dame Lydia Ko is by every metric one of the greatest women’s golfers in history and therefore one of the sport’s top earners.

The 27-year-old Aucklander is ranked as the No 2 player in the world, behind American star Nelly Korda, and sits third on another list – but could see herself at the top, should she repeat her historic form of 2024.

The LPGA Tour Money/Finishes list totals Ko’s official career earnings at $35,792,258 from 248 events since turning pro in 2014, just $115,735 behind Australian legend Karrie Webb, who sits second, in 249 fewer tournaments.

Sweden’s Annika Sörenstam, whose 96 international professional wins are the most in women’s golf history, is clear at the top of the list with $39,946,487 in official earnings in 307 events, $4,154,229 ahead of Ko.

This list does not include endorsements or unofficial appearance fees. Ko is listed as having made $1,443,357 in unofficial earnings.

Ko’s next start on the LPGA Tour will be at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore on February 27, a limited field event open to only the top golfers in the world with a winner’s prize of $477,581.

A win at Sentosa Golf Club would therefore put Ko into second on the all-time official earnings list, $3,676,648 behind Sörenstam.

By comparison, the all-time PGA Tour earner is Tiger Woods with $214,025,744 – Ko would sit 116th if added to that list.

Based on current form, Ko should eventually overtake the Swede outright this year – her earnings totalled $6,352,207.72 in 2024 alone in one of the best years of her career.

She began by winning the opening LPGA Tour event at the HGV Tournament of Champions in Orlando. She later won the AIG Women’s Open in August at St Andrews, which got her into the Hall of Fame, and the Kroger Queen City Championship in September, as well as gold at the Paris Olympics.

After Ko’s 2024 saw her complete the bronze, silver and gold trio of Olympic medals in Paris and just two weeks later break her eight-year major drought at the British Open, she said she has turned her attention to her ultimate goal of completing the career grand slam of all five majors.

Ko has three of the five major titles in her cabinet already – her British Open victory followed the Evian Championship and Chevron Championship, leaving the US Open and the Women’s PGA Championship still to be won.

If the Hall of Famer were to accomplish even just 50% of that goal and win one of the remaining two majors this year, the US Open would net her $4,245,168 in prizemoney, based on last year’s event.

That would see Ko move in to top position on the all-time earnings list with just one victory this year and add another title to the Kiwi’s illustrious career.

Will Toogood is an online sports editor and golf reporter for the NZ Herald. He enjoys watching people chase a ball around on a grass surface so much he decided to make a living out of it.