DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., April 8, 2019 – Following her first major victory at the 2019 ANA Inspiration on Sunday, Jin Young Ko has ascended to No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Her three-stroke win at Mission Hills Golf Club vaulted her from fifth to the top of the standings.
"Reaching World No. 1 is exciting and I cannot believe that I have achieved this honor," said Ko. "I always keep my focus on the golf course and on my playing, but to win a major championship and be called the best player in the world is absolutely a great honor. I want to thank my family, my caddie and my manager for all of their support."
Ko is the fifth player from the Republic of Korea to reach World No. 1, following Inbee Park, Sung Hyun Park, So Yeon Ryu and Jiyai Shin. She is the third player to hold the title of World No. 1 in 2019, joining Ariya Jutanugarn and Sung Hyun Park, who was No. 1 for the previous five weeks.
So far during the 2019 LPGA Tour season, Ko has earned two victories and three other top-three results, with four of those finishes coming in her last four events. After opening her year with a runner-up spot at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, she tied for third two weeks later at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
Her performance over the Tour’s recent Western Swing cemented Ko’s place at the top of the Rolex Rankings. She won the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in Phoenix, Ariz., and the following week tied for second at the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, Calif. Her victory on the famed Dinah Shore Tournament Course in Rancho Mirage, Calif., lifted Ko to the pinnacle of female professional golf.
Through the season’s first eight events, Ko leads the Tour in total earnings with $1,002,273. She also sits atop the standings for Rolex Player of the Year honors (123 points) and in the Race to the CME Globe (1,957 points).
Ko became a Rolex First-Time Winner when she captured the 2018 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in her first event as an LPGA Member. With that victory, she become just the second player in LPGA history to win on her Membership debut, joining Beverly Hanson (1951 Eastern Open). That win was one of Ko’s 13 top-10 finishes in 2018, a spectacular rookie season that saw her clinch Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year honors with four events remaining.
While her victory in Australia was Ko’s first as a Member, she had already visited the winner’s circle at the 2017 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship. That breakthrough win earned her LPGA Membership for the 2018 season.
Prior to joining the LPGA Tour, Ko was a member of the KLPGA Tour, where she has 10 career victories. As a KLPGA member, she finished second at the 2015 Ricoh Women's British Open.
History of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings Number One Position
| # | Player | Age (Y/M/D) | From: | To: | No. Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Jin Young Ko | 23/9/1 | April 8, 2019 | Present | 1 |
| 28 | Sung Hyun Park (3) | 25/5/13 | March 4, 2019 | April 7, 2019 | 5 |
| 27 | Ariya Jutanugarn | 22/11/6 | October 29, 2018 | March 3, 2019 | 18 |
| 26 | Sung Hyun Park (2) | 24/10/29 | August 20, 2018 | October 28, 2018 | 10 |
| 25 | Ariya Jutanugarn (2) | 22/8/7 | July 30, 2018 | August 19, 2018 | 3 |
| 24 | Inbee Park (4) | 29/9/11 | April 23, 2018 | July 29, 2018 | 14 |
| 23 | Shanshan Feng | 28/3/8 | Nov. 13, 2017 | April 22, 2018 | 23 |
| 22 | Sung Hyun Park | 24/1/15 | Nov. 6, 2017 | Nov. 12, 2017 | 1 |
| 21 | So Yeon Ryu | 26/11/28 | June 26, 2017 | Nov. 5, 2017 | 19 |
| 20 | Ariya Jutanugarn | 21/6/20 | June 12, 2017 | June 25, 2017 | 2 |
| 19 | Lydia Ko (2) | 18/6/2 | October 26, 2015 | June 11, 2017 | 85 |
| 18 | Inbee Park (3) | 26/11/3 | June 15, 2015 | October 25, 2015 | 19 |
| 17 | Lydia Ko | 17/9/9 | February 2, 2015 | June 14, 2015 | 19 |
| 16 | Inbee Park (2) | 26/3/15 | October 27, 2014 | February 1, 2015 | 14 |
| 15 | Stacy Lewis (2) | 29/3/17 | June 2, 2014 | October 26, 2014 | 21 |
| 14 | Inbee Park | 24/9/3 | April 15, 2013 | June 1, 2014 | 59 |
| 13 | Stacy Lewis | 28/1/2 | March 18, 2013 | April 14, 2013 | 4 |
| 12 | Yani Tseng | 22/0/22 | February 14, 2011 | March 13, 2011 | 109 |
| 11 | Jiyai Shin (3) | 22/6/4 | Nov. 1, 2010 | February 13, 2011 | 15 |
| 10 | Cristie Kerr (3) | 33/0/13 | October 25, 2010 | October 31, 2010 | 1 |
| 9 | Ai Miyazato (3) | 25/2/4 | August 23, 2010 | October 24, 2010 | 9 |
| 8 | Cristie Kerr (2) | 32/10/4 | August 16, 2010 | August 22, 2010 | 1 |
| 7 | Jiyai Shin (2) | 22/2/28 | July 26, 2010 | August 15, 2010 | 3 |
| 6 | Ai Miyazato (2) | 25/1/0 | July 19, 2010 | July 25, 2010 | 1 |
| 5 | Cristie Kerr | 32/8/16 | June 28, 2010 | July 18, 2010 | 3 |
| 4 | Ai Miyazato | 25/0/5 | June 21, 2010 | June 27, 2010 | 1 |
| 3 | Jiyai Shin | 22/0/5 | May 3, 2010 | June 20, 2010 | 7 |
| 2 | Lorena Ochoa | 25/5/8 | April 23, 2007 | May 2, 2010 | 158 |
| 1 | Annika Sorenstam | 35/4/11 | February 20, 2006 | April 22, 2007 | 61 |
Career weeks at Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings Number One Position
| Player | No. of Weeks |
|---|---|
| Lorena Ochoa | 158 weeks |
| Yani Tseng | 109 weeks |
| Inbee Park | 106 weeks |
| Lydia Ko | 104 weeks |
| Annika Sorenstam | 61 weeks |
| Stacy Lewis | 25 weeks |
| Jiyai Shin | 25 weeks |
| Ariya Jutanugarn | 23 weeks |
| Shanshan Feng | 23 weeks |
| So Yeon Ryu | 19 weeks |
| Sung Hyun Park | 16 weeks |
| Ai Miyazato | 11 weeks |
| Cristie Kerr | 5 weeks |
| Jin Young Ko | 1 week |
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