Lydia Ko’s Career Earnings: How LPGA Tour Payouts Added Up for a Career Only a Few Can Match
February 2, 2025: Lydia Ko of New Zealand on the 1st tee during final round of Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions held at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, FL. Romeo T Guzman/CSM Orlando USA - ZUMAcg2_ 20250202_faf_cg2_022 Copyright: xRomeoxGuzmanx
February 2, 2025: Lydia Ko of New Zealand on the 1st tee during final round of Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions held at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, FL. Romeo T Guzman/CSM Orlando USA - ZUMAcg2_ 20250202_faf_cg2_022 Copyright: xRomeoxGuzmanx
Currently ranked No. 6 in the world, Lydia Ko is a household name in women's golf, having amassed 23 career wins. However, besides the notoriety, the 28-year-old's prowess on the course has also earned her a staggering amount of money.
Ko turned pro in 2015 and has made several million dollars from her golfing career. So, let's take a look at the specifics of the amount that she has earned to date.
Lydia Ko Has Made Over $20 Million in Her Career
Lydia Ko’s earnings show her sustained excellence. She has the kind of career that most professional golfers can only imagine, both in terms of the notoriety and the money.
In 2022, Ko won the CME Group Tour Championship and pocketed a staggering $2 million in prize money. 2023 wasn't as eventful for the New Zealander, but she bounced back strongly in 2024 with victories in noted meets like the Tournament of Champions, the AIG Women's Open, along with winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Olympic Women Golf Competition Paris 2024 Lydia Ko NZL GOLD during the medals ceremony of the Olympic Women Golf Competition Paris 2024, Le Golf National, Guyancourt, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. 10/08/24. Picture Stefano Di Maria / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Stefano Di Maria Guyancourt Le Golf National Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines France Copyright: xStefanoxDixMariax *EDI*
Olympic Women Golf Competition Paris 2024 Lydia Ko NZL GOLD during the medals ceremony of the Olympic Women Golf Competition Paris 2024, Le Golf National, Guyancourt, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. 10/08/24. Picture Stefano Di Maria / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Stefano Di Maria Guyancourt Le Golf National Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines France Copyright: xStefanoxDixMariax *EDI*
These victories added another $4 million to her career earnings. While Ko just won the HSBC Women's World Championship in 2025, she earned $360,000, pushing her career earnings to $21.3 million.
The only golfer who stands above Ko is Annika Sorenstam, with career earnings of $22.58 million.
Lydia Ko’s Journey to Golf Stardom and Wealth
Ko's early start in golf competitions paid dividends, making her one of the most renowned and wealthiest women's golfers worldwide. She became the youngest player to win an LPGA Tour event, winning the Canadian Women's Open in 2012 at just 15.
Currently, she boasts 23 LPGA Tour wins in total, including three major championships: the 2015 Evian, 2016 Chevron, and 2024 Women’s British Open.
However, Ko has admitted that she never imagined achieving such success in the sport. "I didn't grow up thinking that I would become a Hall of Famer. I feel like I’m living in a fairy tale," she said about her LPGA Hall of Fame induction.
Ko's ability to rebound from setbacks is a major reason her career stands out like this. After every winless season, she returned stronger, and hence, today she is the second-best in terms of official career earnings.
But do you think that Ko's early start also helped her reach such a prestigious position in women's golf?
Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Souvik Roy