Lydia Ko’s wait for LPGA Hall of Fame will go on a bit longer

Lydia Ko watches from the 18th green after finishing the final round of the LPGA Drive On Championship. Photo / AP

Lydia Ko has made one of the hottest starts to a season in LPGA history but she’s facing a month-long break before a chance to keep the run of form going.

The Kiwi almost made it two wins from two to start the 2024 season, missing out on a 21st career LPGA win after losing a playoff to Nelly Korda at the Drive On Championship yesterday.

Walking off the 18th green in Florida yesterday, the Kiwi briefly held a three-shot lead before Korda sunk an eagle putt followed up by a superb birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff.

Korda earned her ninth career win after Ko three-putted on the second playoff hole to record a bogey.

A week earlier Ko kicked off the year with a win at the HGV Tournament of Champions which gave her an additional point towards LPGA Hall of Fame induction, one short of the 27-point threshold necessary to be enshrined.

She was so close yesterday to becoming the first player since Inbee Park in 2016 to reach the criteria. The 26-year-old now faces a four-week break for another shot at reaching the milestone.

Ko said yesterday she won’t return to Saudi Arabia next month where she won the Aramco Saudi Ladies International for her only victory of 2023 while she’ll also skip the LPGA’s next event starting February 22 in Thailand. It means the next time she tees off won’t be until February 29.

“It will be nice to have some downtime. I’ve got four weeks off until Singapore, so just get plenty of rest but also do some work because I felt like the two weeks before leading up to Hilton was a little short.

“So I’m excited to keep working on my game and hopefully more opportunities come.”

Ko can also afford to take an extra week or two off. She’s earned US$388,689 ($632,000) in the past eight days, already passing her total earnings of US$247,335 ($402,000) in 2023.

Ko has moved up to seventh in the world rankings today and leads the LPGA season standings as well as the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average through the opening two events, which are also two ways she can earn a Hall of Fame point.

The playoff defeat moved her record to 5-3 in the sudden death format having also lost to Korda at the Pelican Women’s Championship in 2021. That was after Ko won five of her first six playoff appearances.

“I’ve been in a few playoffs. I think my last one was maybe the one with Nelly at Pelican. She won there as well.

“But I played solid. You know, obviously sucks to miss a three-footer on the last and get it out of my hands. I think that was kind of the goal, the whole goal today. Like whatever happened I want to be able to finish the job in my control.

“I missed that putt but I actually made a really good stroke and I just misjudged the speed on the first one. And then on the second one I just under-read it.

“Other than that, I can’t really complain when I’ve hit four decent shots. Just wasn’t my time to be and Nelly made a really good up and down on the last. Just wasn’t my win.”