Korean falls to second place behind U.S. Korda
Ko Jin-young and Kim Hyo-joo are the only Koreans in the top 15
to qualify for next year’s Paris Olympics
After holding the world No. 1 ranking for 163 weeks, the longest in women’s golf history, Ko Jin-young (pictured) has dropped to No. 2. Last week’s No. 8, Kim Hyo-ju, also dropped to No. 11, leaving Ko as the only other South Korean in the top 10.
In the women’s golf world rankings, which were released on March 31, Ko is now No. 2 with 7.54 ranking points. Last week’s runner-up, Nelly Corda (USA), moved into first place with 7.75 points, 0.21 points ahead of Ko. The two players switched places at the Amundi Evian Championship, a major on the Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour, which concluded today in Evian-les-Bains, France, with Korda tying for ninth and Ko tying for 20th. Evian Championship winner Celine Boutier (FRA) jumped 11 spots from 15th to fourth. Lydia Ko (NZL) remained unchanged at No. 3 and Yin Luning (CHN) at No. 5.
Korean women’s golf now has to worry about qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which are less than a year away. Each country is allowed to send two men and two women to the Paris Olympics, with 60 players of both sexes competing. However, the top 15 players in the world rankings are allowed a maximum of four. South Korean women’s golf sent four players to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro and 2021 Tokyo Olympics. However, based on their current rankings, only two of them – Ko Jin-young and Kim Hyo-joo – will make it to Paris next year. Jeon In-ji is ranked 22nd, Shin Ji-ae 25th, Park Min-ji 27th, and Choi Hye-jin 30th. Qualification for the Paris Olympics will be based on the rankings on June 24.
Ko will compete in the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour’s Samdasu Masters at Blackstone Jeju (Par 72) in Jeju City, South Korea, starting on Sept. 3. It will be the first time in 22 months that Ko has competed in a tournament in South Korea since the LPGA Tour’s BMW Ladies Championship in October 2021, when the KLPGA was the local partner. Ko won the tournament, becoming the 200th career LPGA Tour victory for a South Korean player. “It feels great to be back on the KLPGA Tour after a long time,” said Ko. 토토사이트 Above all, I am very excited and happy to meet my fans in person,” said Ko.