Golf: Lydia Ko matches course record at BMW Ladies Championship to close in on LPGA career milestone

Lydia Ko charged up the leaderboard during the final round of the BMW Ladies Championship. Photo / Getty

Lydia Ko is on the verge of cracking the LPGA's all-time top 10 in career earnings after a brilliant final round at the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea.

The Kiwi shot an eight-under 64 to equal the course record at the LPGA International Busan course, finishing on 17-under in a four-way tie for third.

That result saw Ko collect prizemoney of US$95,144 and increase her career earnings to $12,128,964, leaving her just short of American Paula Creamer ($12,134,840) in 10th spot on the all-time tour list.

The 24-year-old Ko was playing in her 197th career LPGA event - well behind Creamer's 339 and almost 100 fewer than any other player in the top 10, aside from fifth-place Mexican Lorena Ochoa.

It was Ko's eighth top-10 finish of the year, to go with the Olympic bronze medal she claimed in Tokyo, and one that had looked unlikely when she began the tournament with a one-over 73.

Ko had moved up to nine-under after the third round to head into the final day nine shots off the pace, and three birdies on the first three holes today set the tone for what was to follow.

The Kiwi made birdie on the par-three sixth to make the turn at 13-under. And after birdies at 11, 14 and 15, she picked up another shot on the 18th to move into a share of third place.

Ko finished five strokes behind Korean pair Jin Young Ko and Hee Jeong Lim, with the former winning the subsequent playoff to collect a prize of US$300,000.