Lydia Ko’s remarkable year got better on Monday when she reascended to world No. 1.
Ko overtook Nelly Korda for the top spot in the Rolex Rankings, marking her first time there since 2017.
“I’m very grateful to be world No. 1 again. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be back here again,” Ko said in an LPGA press release. “This wouldn’t have been possible without my family and team, thank you for your belief and love.”
Ko was previously ranked No. 1 for a span of 19 weeks, beginning in Feb. 2015. She then held the position for 85 weeks, beginning in Oct. ’15. She is currently fifth all-time on number of weeks spent as world No. 1. Lorena Ochoa holds the record, with 158 weeks, according to the LPGA.
Ko won three times in 2022, including the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, which paid out $2 million to the champ. She also won the Rolex Player of the Year and Vare Trophy (lowest scoring average).