Annika Sörenstam has been No. 1 on the LPGA career money list since 2001, but Lydia Ko could pass her this Sunday.
Ko is currently second on the list with $21,316,768 in career earnings, and Sörenstam’s record is $22,583,693. If Ko wins the Chevron Championship, she will earn $1.35 million from the $9 million prize pool.
This would take her total to about $22.93 million and move her ahead of Sörenstam’s long-standing record.
Sörenstam set this record over a 26-year career with 72 LPGA wins, 10 major titles, and 8 Player of the Year awards. She retired from full-time golf in 2008 at age 37, and no one has beaten her record since.
Ko actually has 23 LPGA wins and 3 major titles. She moved into second place on the career money list after winning the 2025 HSBC Women’s World Championship. If she has another strong week, she could break the record.
She shot a first-round 60 at the Ford Championship in March, which is only the eighth time in LPGA history. This season, she has made the cut in all six tournaments and has finished in the top 10 three times.
The Chevron Championship is also special to her because she won it in 2016, her second major title.
Lydia Ko has A Record Chase That Adds Another Layer to an Already Loaded Career
Lydia Ko has spoken openly about retiring at 30.
She turns 29 this week, during the Chevron Championship itself, and the exit is coming, which makes what she does between now and then matter even more.
"I think I've always wanted that mindset of, maybe if I played more, I might have won more," Ko said earlier this season.
She still has not won all the major titles, and she needs a U.S. Women’s Open or a Women’s PGA Championship win to complete a Career Grand Slam.
But if she passes Sörenstam this week, it would be a record that lasts a long time, even after retirement.
Trending slideshow: 14 Records Lydia Ko Broke Before Turning 20
Eknoor Juneja
14 Records Lydia Ko Broke Before Turning 20Lydia Ko's rise in professional golf shattered expectations for young athletes. She conquered milestones that elude most golfers across entire careers, blending extraordinary skill with unshakable composure at a remarkably tender age. Her early triumphs showcased unwavering dedication and raw talent, upending golf's established conventions. Discover the journey of a prodigy who rocketed to the LPGA Tour's summit. Joseph Johnson/ImagoAt just 14 years old in 2012, Lydia Ko claimed the Women's NSW Open, a professional tour event, not some junior showcase. This made her the youngest winner in all of professional golf history at the time. The victory revealed a prodigy competing at adult levels, previewing her total dominance ahead. She outplayed seasoned professionals years before she could legally drive, proving age meant nothing. Xinhua/Sergei Bachlakov/ImagoLydia stands alone as the only amateur to win two LPGA events. After capturing the 2012 Canadian Women's Open, she returned in 2013 to defend her title, still competing as an amateur. This staggering feat meant forfeiting over $1 million in prize money across both victories. It wasn't about the cash; it was pure competitive mastery and unwavering dedication to golf. Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire/ImagoHer financial ascent matched her on-course brilliance. In 2014, at just 17, Lydia became the youngest player to surpass $1 million in career earnings. While most pros grind for years to hit that mark, she achieved it in a flash. This underscored her instant impact and relentless high finishes from her professional debut. @lydsko/InstagramIn her 2014 pro debut at age 17, Lydia claimed the LPGA Rookie of the Year. She smashed a record untouched since 1973. No rookie jitters for her, she didn't just adapt to the pro game; she dominated it instantly. From day one, she proved she belonged at golf's absolute pinnacle. Lynn Pennington/ZUMA Press Wire/ImagoAt just 17 in 2014, Lydia claimed both the CME Group Tour Championship and the inaugural Race to the Globe million-dollar bonus, the largest single payday in women's golf history then. This high-stakes triumph revealed nerves of steel matching her flawless swing. It cemented her as golf's most clutch performer under maximum pressure. Samuel Stringer/Icon Sportswire/ImagoConsistency ranks as golf's toughest skill, yet Lydia mastered it in 2015 by matching Annika Sorenstam's 29 consecutive under-par rounds. This rare streak highlighted her uncanny ability to dodge bad days. Equaling a legend's mark at 17 showcased mental toughness and precision that stunned veterans and captivated fans. Steven Flynn/EDI/Imago/GolffileIn 2015, Lydia won the Evian Championship at 18, becoming the youngest female major winner in modern LPGA history. She shattered Morgan Pressel's record by over 6 months. This triumph declared her readiness for golf's grandest stages, cementing her path to greatness at a stunningly young age. Nhat V.Meyer/Newscom World/ImagoDuring her 2015 Evian Championship victory, Lydia fired a final-round 63 (9-under par), the lowest closing round ever in a women's major at the time. This wasn't just winning, it was obliterating the field on championship Sunday. It confirmed her ability to deliver under maximum pressure when it mattered most. Newscom/Yonhap/ImagoAt 18 in 2015, Lydia became the youngest Player of the Year in LPGA history. This demanded season-long dominance, not a single victory. It made her the youngest "MVP" across virtually all major pro sports, male or female. This locked in her status as the sport's undisputed top player that year. Jordan Bank/Imago/ZUMA Press WireComplementing her 2015 Player of the Year award, Lydia also topped the official money list as the youngest ever. Leading in seasonal prize money stands as golf's clearest success metric. She out-earned every rival, proving her dominance was both consistent and financially unmatched for her age. Reinhold Matay/Imagn ImagesLydia claimed her 10th professional win at 18 in 2015, hitting the milestone faster than legends Nancy Lopez and Tiger Woods. Her title accumulation speed was breathtaking. This reflected an extraordinarily high win rate and relentless ability to claim first place at unprecedented velocity. Andre Engelmann/ImagoBefore turning 20, Lydia surpassed $7 million in career earnings. This stunning total reflected sustained excellence, fueled by 57 top-10 finishes in just 97 teenage starts. It proved she wasn't a fleeting sensation but a dependable, high-earning superstar sustaining peak performance for years. Icon Sportswire/ImagoWinning her second major at the 2016 ANA Inspiration at just 18 cemented her status as a generational talent. It made her the youngest player in the modern era, male or female, to capture 2 majors, second only in all of golf history to Young Tom Morris in the 1800s. This run proved she could repeatedly deliver on the sport's biggest stages. Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto/ImagoIn 2015, at just 17, Lydia became the youngest person of any gender to claim a world No. 1 ranking. She eclipsed Tiger Woods' male record by nearly four years. This pinnacle achievement defined her teen years, forever reshaping global views on age in pro sports. A teenage girl had conquered an entire industry. Jordan Bank/ ZUMA Press Wire/Imago
