Jin Young Ko Facts: 25 Things To Know About South Korean LPGA Tour Star
Get to know multiple Major winner and former World No.1 Jin Young Ko better with these facts about her incredible career so far
![Jin Young Ko hits a tee shot](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ePXPeYbWZqHAmtViZ2yEck-415-80.jpg)
Jin Young Ko is one of the best female golfers of her generation, having spent more time atop the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings than any other player.
Get to know the Korean star better with these facts...
Jin Young Ko facts:
1. She was born in Seoul, South Korea, on the 7th of July, 1995.
2. Ko started playing golf at the age of 7 and credits her parents as having the most influence on her career.
3. She turned pro in 2013 at the age of 18.
4. By the time she joined the LPGA Tour, she had already won 10 times on the LPGA of Korea Tour including the co-sanctioned Hana Bank Championship in 2017.
5. Her first regular LPGA Tour win came at the 2018 Australian Women's Open.
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6. She was the second player in history to win on their first start as an LPGA Tour member.
7. She was named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2018.
8. She won her maiden Major title at the 2019 ANA Inspiration, beating her fellow Korean Lee Mi-hyang by three strokes.
9. Her second Major victory also came in 2019 at the Evian Championship, which she secured by a margin of two strokes.
10. In 2019 she won the LPGA Player of the Year title as well as the Vare Trophy (scoring average), LPGA money list and Rolex Annika Major Award.
11. She was again named LPGA Player of the Year in 2021 after winning five times.
12. She has won the LPGA Money List three times, in 2019 as well as 2020 and 2021.
13. She has won the LPGA Tour's Founders Cup three times and the Tour Championship and HSBC Women's World Championship twice.
14. Ko went 114 consecutive holes without a bogey in 2019, beating Tiger Woods' record of 110-holes in 2000.
15. In that bogey-free stretch, she won the Canadian Women's Open with a record 26-under-par score that included zero bogeys for the entire tournament.
16. In June 2023 she passed Lorena Ochoa's total of 158 for most weeks spent as World No.1 in the Women's World Golf Rankings.
17. Only two South Korean golfers in history have won more LPGA Tour titles than her - Inbee Park with 21 and Se Ri Pak with 25.
18. She holds the record for most consecutive under-par rounds on the LPGA Tour with 32, which she set in 2022. She also holds the record for most consecutive rounds in the 60s with 16.
19. Ko now lives in Frisco, Texas.
20. Her caddie is Dave Brooker who is a legend on the LPGA caddie circuit. He has carried the bags for Lorena Ochoa, Suzann Pettersen, Paula Creamer and Grace Park in the past.
21. She plays Bridgestone irons.
22. She has a large number of sponsors including Solaire, Bridgestone, Nikon, Michelob Ultra, LPGA Golf Wear and Titleist.
23. She was 18th in Forbes' Highest-Paid Female Athletes list in 2022 with earnings of $5.8m.
24. She has won over $13m on the LPGA Tour in her career.
25. She made her second Olympics appearance at Paris 2024 after also playing at Tokyo 2020.
Born | July 7 1995, Seoul, South Korea |
Resides | Frisco, Texas |
Turned pro | 2013 |
Current tour | LPGA Tour |
LPGA wins | 15 |
LPGA of Korea Tour wins | 12 |
Majors wins | 2 |
Career-high world ranking | 1st |
2017 LPGA KEB-Hana Bank Championship | -19 (2 strokes) |
2018 ISPS Handa Australian Women's Open | -14 (3 strokes) |
2019 Bank of Hope Founders Cup | -22 (1 stroke) |
2019 ANA Inspiration (Major) | -10 (3 strokes) |
2019 Evian Championship | -15 (2 strokes) |
2019 CP Women's Open | -26 (5 strokes) |
2020 CME Group Tour Championship | -18 (5 strokes) |
2021 Volunteers of America Classic | -16 (1 stroke) |
2021 Cambia Portland Classic | -11 (4 strokes) |
2021 Cognizant Founders Cup | -18 (4 strokes) |
2021 BMW Ladies Championship | -22 (playoff) |
2021 CME Group Tour Championship | -23 (1 stroke) |
2022 HSBC Women's World Championship | -17 (2 strokes) |
2023 HSBC Women's World Championship | -17 (2 strokes) |
2023 Cognizant Founders Cup | -13 (playoff) |
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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