In honor of International Women’s Month, we wanted to take a closer look at LPGA golfer, Jin Young Ko who has been shattering records and putting together unbelievable statistics over the past few seasons. Her success and performance in 2021 alone were reminiscent of Tiger Woods in his legendary 2000 season.
Jin Young Ko is not just a 26-year-old professional golfer from South Korea, she is the world's number one female golfer and a winning machine. With 24 professional wins under her belt since she became a professional in 2013 and four LPGA wins last season alone, she shows no signs of slowing down.
Jin Young Ko Profile:
Ko was born in Seoul South Korea in 1995. She began playing golf at the age of seven and showed promise early on. At age 18, she turned professional on the LPGA of Korea Tour where she would go on to win 10 times over the next four seasons. Her first LPGA Tour win came the year prior to her debut at the 2017 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship. In 2018, Ko joined the LPGA Tour where her career would rise to the next level. Jin Young is currently ranked number one player on the LPGA Tour and is continuing her hot streak in record fashion.
Jin Young Ko has earned more than $9 million in her career. Throughout these tournaments, she has finished in the top ten, 44 times and has won on the LPGA Tour 13 times. Incredibly, Ko’s recent win at the HSBC Women’s World Championship was her sixth win in just ten starts. In 2019 and 2021, Ko won the Rolex Player of the Year because of her undeniable success.
LPGA Wins:
(13 wins, 2 majors) (Statistics from LPGA Tour website)
2022- HSBC Women's World Championship
2021 - Volunteers of America Classic, Cambia Portland Classic, Cognizant Founders Cup, BMW Ladies Championship, CME Group Tour Championship
2020 - CME Group Tour Championship
2019 - Bank of Hope Founders Cup, ANA Inspiration, The Evian Championship, CP Women's Open
2018 - ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open
2017 - LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship
Breaking Records and Incredible Statistics:
-15 consecutive rounds in the 60s
-30 consecutive rounds under par
-Last eight starts, 1st, 1st, 6th, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 6th, 1st
-Hasn’t played a round above par since July (active March 2022)
-Hasn’t played a round above 70 since October (active March 2022)
-Hit 63 greens in regulation in a row en route to winning the Tour Championship
Jin Young Ko in 2021 vs. Tiger Woods in 2000
When taking a look back at Ko’s 2021 season, there are unique comparisons to Tiger Woods’ 2000 season which has been considered the best golf ever played. You’ll notice that their stats are impressively similar.
Statistic: | Jin Young Ko (2021) | Tiger Woods (2000) |
Fairways in Regulation | 79.74% | 71% |
Greens in Regulation | 78.77% | 75.15% |
Events Played/Won | 19/5 | 20/9 |
Top 10s | 13 | 17 |
Scoring Average | 68.87 | 68.33 (PGA Tour Record) |
Looking Towards the Future:
Entering this season on a hot streak of a 60% win rate in her past 10 events has us excited to see what the coming months will bring. If her recent past is any indication, she is on pace to continue her current records and shatter even more. Be on the lookout for her at the top of the leaderboards in upcoming LPGA tournaments!