Lydia Ko Secures Major Victory at 2023 Saudi Ladies International
On Sunday, February 21, 2023, world number one Lydia Ko secured a massive victory at the 2023 Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by Public Investment Fund.[0] Ko fired a final round of 68 (-4) to win by one shot, and record her second win at the prestigious event.
Ko began the day with a birdie on the first, but stumbled with a bogey on the second.[1] She recovered with a birdie on the fourth, and added three more birdies on the back nine, including a decisive putt on the 17th.[2] Her three birdies on the back nine were enough to seal victory with a total of 21-under-par.[3]
Ko has now won 26 times in her career, with seven of those wins coming on the Ladies European Tour. She has been rewarded with a NZ$1.2 million prize for her latest victory.[4] Ko had a fabulous beginning to the 2023 season, which will now take him to Thailand to compete on the LPGA Tour.[5] Since 2014, Ko has won a total of $16,695,357 USD from 205 events on the LPGA Tour.[6]
Fifteen of the world's top thirty female golfers, as ranked by the Rolex Rankings, will compete in the Saudi Ladies International, an event sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour.[7] The prize fund for the event in Saudi Arabia is now equal to $5 million for both the men's and women's tournaments[7] With a purse of $7 million, the LPGA's season-ending CME Group Tour Championship is the largest in women's golf outside of the major tournaments.[7]
Aditi Ashok of India, who started the final round two shots behind the leader, shot 4-under 68 and finished 20-under at the tournament.[8] Aditi commented on her exceptional beginning to the season, “Yeah, it's been a great (start). I think 20-under on this golf course with the wind that we had on some of those days, I think it's a pretty good score.”[9]
Ko will try to increase her earnings even further in Thailand later this week to kick off the 2023 LPGA season.[6] She is only young, but if she were to win a few more games, she would surpass the impressive NZ$30 million mark in career earnings – an exceptional accomplishment.[6]
0. “World number one golfer Ko wins her second Saudi Aramco Women’s International” Al Arabiya English, 20 Feb. 2023, https://english.alarabiya.net/sports/2023/02/20/World-number-one-golfer-Ko-wins-her-second-Saudi-Aramco-Women-s-International
1. “ASHOK LEADS AT HALFWAY STAGE OF ARAMCO SAUDI LADIES INTERNATIONAL” Ladies European Tour, 17 Feb. 2023, https://ladieseuropeantour.com/blog/ashok-leads-at-halfway-stage-of-aramco-saudi-ladies-international/
2. “Golf: Kiwi Lydia Ko holds nerve to claim second Saudi Ladies International title” Newshub, 19 Feb. 2023, https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2023/02/golf-kiwi-lydia-ko-holds-nerve-to-claim-second-saudi-ladies-international-title.html
3. “Lydia Ko Wins 2023 Aramco Saudi Ladies International” LPGA, 19 Feb. 2023, https://www.lpga.com/news/2023/lydia-ko-wins-2023-aramco-saudi-ladies-international
4. “Ko on verge of staggering prizemoney milestone after big win” New Zealand Herald, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/golf-lydia-ko-on-verge-of-staggering-prizemoney-milestone-after-saudi-ladies-international-win/IHSJGE32U5GSNLY5T3T46VQKBE/
5. “Maguire challenge fades as Ko wins Saudi International” RTE.ie, 19 Feb. 2023, https://www.rte.ie/sport/golf/2023/0219/1357596-maguire-challenge-fades-as-ko-wins-saudi-international
6. “Lydia Ko close to stunning prize money achievement after Saudi International triumph” Sportskeeda, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.sportskeeda.com/golf/news-lydia-ko-close-stunning-prize-money-achievement-saudi-international-triumph
7. “India's Aditi Ashok, already a winner in 2023, opens with a 29 to jump two ahead of Lydia Ko at Saudi Ladies …” Golfweek, 17 Feb. 2023, https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/02/17/let-golf-india-aditi-ashok-lydia-ko-saudi-ladies-international/
8. “Aditi finishes one shot behind top ranked Lydia” News9 LIVE, 19 Feb. 2023, https://www.news9live.com/sports/golf/aditi-finishes-one-shot-behind-top-ranked-lydia-au80-2056112
9. “Aditi Ashok finishes one shot behind world No. 1 Lydia Ko” The Indian Express, 19 Feb. 2023, https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/golf/aditi-ashok-finishes-one-shot-behind-world-no-1-lydia-ko-8455128/
