NZ Women's Open: How the leading golf ladies line up

Lydia Ko became the youngest female ever to win two major championships. Photo / Photosport

The New Zealand Women's Golf Open tees off on Thursday, with the tournament possessing one of the best fields to ever play in the country.

Started in 2009, the Open is now an LPGA event for the first time, and has attracted eight major winners to the Windross Farm course.

Lydia Ko (20)
Career earnings:US$ 7,837,623
LPGA Tour victories: 14
Top 10s in 2017: 9
World ranking: 8

A world number one for 104 weeks, Ko became the youngest female ever to win two major championships and the second youngest golfer (male or female) to two major wins, behind Tom Morris who won the 1869 Open Championship. She is one of three players to win back-to-back tournaments (the Kia Classic and ANA Inspiration) on the LPGA. Ko won the New Zealand Women's Open as an amateur and also won twice on the LPGA as an amateur.
She won the supreme Halberg award in 2013 and was NZ Sportswoman of the Year in 2013, 2014 and 2015. She was LPGA Rookie of the Year in 2014 and Player of the Year in 2015, winning the Race to the CME Globe in 2014 and 2015. She has won her national open three times and is the only person to successfully defend her title.

Brittany Lincicome (32)
Career earnings: US$ 8,070,792
LPGA Tour victories: 7
Top 10s in 2017: 2
World ranking: 47

One of the longest hitters in the sport, Lincicome qualified for the Tour on her first attempt in 2004. She has won two majors, claiming the ANA Inspiration in 2009 and 2015, and has been in the winner's circle this season after victory in Bahamas in January.

Brooke Henderson (20)
Career earnings: US$2,986,547
LPGA Tour victories: 4
Top 10s in 2017: 5
World ranking: 11

Henderson became the second youngest player in LPGA history to win a major championship with her victory at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship (at 18years, nine months and two days), trailing only Lydia Ko. Played in the Rio Olympics, finishing tied for seventh.

Cheyenne Woods (27)
Career earnings: US$ 201,898
LPGA Tour victories: 0
Top 10s in 2017: 0
World ranking: 267

The niece of Tiger Woods, Cheyenne started playing golf at the age of 5 with her grandfather Earl Woods as her first coach. She graduated from Wake Forrest University, winning more than 30 amateur tournaments. She turned professional in 2012, winning her first professional event that year. She gained partial qualification to the LPGA in 2015 and full status in 2016.

Danielle Kang (24)
Career earnings: US$ 2,422,401
LPGA Tour victories: 1
Top 10s in 2017: 5
World ranking: 21

Kang qualified for the LPGA Tour on her first attempt. She won the US Women's Amateur title in 2010 and 2011 and was the leading amateur at the British Open as well as the LPGA Championship, where she was the only non-professional to make the cut.
Her 2017 season has been her best to date with selection and strong performances in the USA's Solheim Cup victory as well as her first win on the LPGA and her first major, at the KPMG PGA Championship.

Na Yeon Choi (29)
Career earnings: US$ 10,713,749
LPGA Tour victories: 9
Top 10s in 2017: 0
World ranking17: 1

Choi won on the LPGA of Korea Tour as a 17-year-old amateur, turning professional shortly after (in late 2004), staying on the Tour until 2007. She qualified for the LPGA in 2008 and won twice in 2009.

The following year she became the LPGA Tour money leader and leader in scoring to earn the Vare Trophy. Her sole major came with victory in the US Women's Open in 2012, among her 15 professional wins including nine on the LPGA.

Paula Creamer (31)
Career earnings: US$ 11,915,165
LPGA Tour victories: 10
Top 10s in 2017: 1
World ranking: 124

Creamer was a quick riser, winning 11 American Junior Golf Association titles. She joined the LPGA at the age of 19 after winning the Final Qualifying Tournament. She won the Sybase Classic in her rookie year, which made her - at the time - the second youngest event winner.

Her 2008-09 season was her best with four wins and she made more than $1.8 million, rising to No 2 in the world. She has achieved 10 wins on the LPGA including her sole major at the US Open in 2010. She is nicknamed the 'Pink Panther' due to her fondness for wearing pink outfits. She has become one of the most popular players in terms of commercial endorsements and also does a significant amount of charitable work.

Yani Tseng (28)
Career earnings: US$ 10,495,468
LPGA Tour victories: 15
Top 10s in 2017: 0
World ranking: 205

A two-time Junior World Championship winner, Tseng turned professional in 2007 and qualified for the LPGA the next year, with her first victory in her first major, the LPGA Championship. She was the first player from Taiwan to win on the LPGA and the youngest to win the LPGA Championships on her way to Rookie of the Year honours. She was No 1 for a stunning 109 weeks, which still stands second only to Lorena Ochoa.
From that point she went on to win 15 times on the LPGA including five majors, but hasn't won on the Tour since 2012.