Lydia Ko misses out on Tour Championship after nightmare LPGA Tour season

The downward spiraling of Lydia Ko in virtually every ranking imaginable this past year will ensure the one-time world number one will want to put this season well and truly behind her.

Ko won’t be in the field for this week’s LPGA Tour season-ending CME Group Tour Championship – a title she won last year – after failing to make the top-60 on the order of merit. Indeed, the Kiwi only crept into 100th place following The Annika to retain her tour card for next season, although she did have the safety net of access to events through her placing on the career money list.

A measure of Ko’s slump through 2023 can be viewed through the contrast between her prize-money take: in 2022, when she was player of the year on the LPGA Tour, she banked over $4.3 million; this season, her winnings on the US circuit came to $224,130 with only two top-10s to her name.

Ko, indeed, started off 2023 strongly with a win in the Saudi International on the Ladies European Tour but that form didn’t later transfer to the LPGA Tour as the 26-year-old struggled. She started the year as world number one and is currently 10th.

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“No matter what’s happened this year, it doesn’t summarise what’s happened in the past nine years,” said Ko of her 10th season on the LPGA Tour, hoping she can change things around in the off season.

For now, though, Ko will be looking on from the outside when Tour Championship completes the LPGA Tour season in Florida this week. Quite the contrast in just 12 months.

DP World Tour

It’s known as the torture chamber to those tasked with trying to navigate a route through the DP World Tour final qualifying, and only Jonathan Caldwell – of the six Irish players who started – managed to survive the four-round cut at Infinitum golf resort in Tarragona in his quest to regain a full tour card for next season.

Caldwell had started on the back foot with an opening 74 last Friday but followed up with rounds of 68-66-67 to be tied-20th and comfortably inside the 70 and ties who made the cut for the final two rounds in Spain, where the leading 25 and ties get coveted tickets to the main tour.

There was agony, however, for Mark Power as the Kilkenny golfer bogeyed his final hole in posting a 69 for 282 for tied-79th, one shot outside the cut mark.

By the Numbers: 3

Three Irish players have qualified for this week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai – Rory McIlroy, who is assured of winning his fifth Race to Dubai order of merit title; Shane Lowry and Tom McKibbin, who will be making his debut in the season-ending tournament.

Word of Mouth

“The left one, it says attitude and on my right one it says positive energy. There’s a lot of things you can’t control in life, but I guess these two you can. You’ve got to have good attitude in life, easier said than done at times. And energy, you can bring the energy not only to yourself but the people around you and that’s something we all should strive for” – Camilo Villegas – who ended a nine-year winless drought on tour with victory in the Bermuda Championship – on getting inspiration from his tattoos.

On this day: November 14th, 1999

Se Ri Pak won the LPGA Tour’s season-ending PageNet Championship at Desert Inn Golf Club in Las Vegas but it was one of those who lost out in a playoff to the South Korean who walked away as the biggest winner.

Pak’s birdie on the first hole of sudden-death gave her a win over Australia’s Karrie Webb and England’s Laura Davies, her eighth career win on the LPGA Tour and a nice payday of $210,000 for her troubles.

But Webb’s haul was even greater, as she wrapped up the Rolex Player of the Year award, the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average – a then record average of 69.43 – and, with $1,591,959 in prizemoney for the season, also gave her the money title which was some achievement given that she finished ahead of Juli Inkster, a player who had won two Majors (the US Open and the US Women’s PGA) in a season where she took five titles.

Webb’s season, though, was a standout one, with six titles including one Major, the du Marier Classic: “Winning player of the year, there’s always only one winner. But I really think that if we could, Juli and I really deserved to win it together because of the year she’s had.”

Davies, though, commented of Webb’s spectacular season. “It’s one of the best years I think any of us will ever witness.”

X-Twitter Twaddle

Played some great stuff @AfricasMajor but not to be. Golf can be cruel but only serves the drive to come back stronger. Appreciate the support, fantastic tournament, proper test of mental game – Scottish golfer Richie Ramsay after coming up short in his bid to finish in the top-50 on the Race to Dubai standings in order to get into this week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

The day Steven Alker offer me the job, was the best day of my professional life. Today was a close second. I’m so fortunate to be a part of this team. Sam will always be with us out there every step of the way – Caddie Troy Martin on filling the footprints of Sam Workman, Alker’s previous caddie who sadly passed away last February. Alker paid tribute to his former bagman after winning the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup on the Champions Tour.

A tale of two halves. Left a lot out there on the front nine and then struggled on the back nine, making some good up and downs. Shot 69 for T4th – Pádraig Harrington, after finishing four shots adrift of Steven Alker in the Charles Schwab Cup tournament.

In the Bag

Camilo Villegas - Bermuda Championship

Driver – Titleist TSi3 (11 degrees)

3-wood – TaylorMade M4 HL (16.5 degrees)

7-wood – TaylorMade M4 HL (21 degrees)

Hybrid – Titleist TSi2 (24 degrees)

Irons – Srixon ZX5 Mk II (4-5), Srixon ZX7 Mk II (6-PW)

Wedges – Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (54 and 60 degrees)

Putter – LAB Mezz 1 Max

Ball – Titleist ProV1

Know the Rules

Q Which of these is not allowed when your ball is in a penalty area? 1-Removing stones and leaves in the penalty area. 2-Touching water with your backswing for a shot. 3-Taking free relief from an animal hole.

A 3 - You are not allowed to take free relief from an animal hole in a penalty area (Rule 13.1f).