JIN YOUNG KO IN WINNERS CIRCLE

In The Winner’s Circle with JIN YOUNG KO

ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open

Kooyonga Golf Club, Adelaide, South Australia

Feb. 18, 2018                                                              

Hometown/Resides: Suwon, South Korea/Seoul, South Korea

Birthdate: July 7, 1995; currently 22 years, 7 months, 11 days

Qualified for LPGA Tour: By winning as a non-member in 2017 and accepting LPGA membership for 2018; Category 7 on the LPGA priority list

Turned Professional/Rookie Year: 2013/2018

           

VICTORIES

LPGA: Second career victory and first of 2018; Becomes a Rolex First-Time Winner (her first victory occurred when she was a non-member)

PREVIOUS LPGA WINS: 2017 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship

KLPGA: 10 career victories

MONEY

With her win, Ko earns $195,000 in official money; any money prior to her rookie debut is unofficial

2018 IN A NUTSHELL ON THE LPGA

One event played, one cut made, $195,000, one victory

OF NOTE

• With her win, Ko becomes the second player to claim an LPGA Tour title in her first start as a member, and the first in 67 years (Beverly Hanson, 1951)
• Ko becomes the first Rolex First-Time Winner since Sung Hyun Park won the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open; in 2017 there were only two first-time winners, Park and Danielle Kang (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship)
• Ko is the first wire-to-wire winner (no ties) since Lexi Thompson at the 2017 Kingsmill Championship
• This was Ko’s first start at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open
• The Republic of Korea joins the U.S. (Brittany Lincicome) as the countries with tournament winners in 2018; in 2017, nine Korean players accounted for 15 tournament titles - the most of any country
• With the win, Ko earns 500 points towards the Race to the CME Globe and 30 points for the Rolex Player of the Year - tying Brittany Lincicome for the early lead in both standings