Lydia Ko has reclaimed the world No 1 spot in the women’s golf rankings for the first time since 2017 after a stunning year on the LPGA Tour.
Ko last week won the CME Group Tour Championship – her third win of the year to go with nine top-five finishes.
It was her first multiple-winning year since 2016 and her first win in the LPGA Tour’s season-ender since 2014.
Ko replaces American Nelly Korda in the top spot – the third time the New Zealander has reached the summit of the women’s game.
Ko was also No 1 from February 2 to June 14, 2015, and from October 2015 to June 2017 – a total of 104 weeks.
Ko’s span of five years, five months and 17 days is the longest period between holding the No 1 ranking in the history of the LPGA Tour.
The previous longest stretch was in 2018 when South Korea’s Inbee Park reclaimed the top spot for the first time since 2015 – a period of two years, five months and 29 days.
“I’m very grateful to be world No 1 again,” Ko, a 19-time winner on the LPGA Tour said. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be back here again.
“This wouldn’t have been possible without my family and team, thank you for your belief and love.”
Ko’s return to the No 1 spot caps of a remarkable few weeks for the 25-year-old, who claimed the largest first-place prize in the history of women’s golf (NZ$3.25 million) in Florida earlier this month after beating Ireland’s Leona Maguire by two shots at the CME Group Tour Championship.
