Established as an official LPGA event in 2019, the BMW Ladies Championship is returning this week as the tour visits Korea. The $2 million purse will be contested across 72-holes by just 78 of the world’s best – including Rolex Rankings No. 1, Jin Young Ko, who has not played since the CP Women’s Open. But with no cut and just three events remaining after the BMW Ladies Championship, there’s a lot more on the line than just money.
Defending Champion Returns
After missing two consecutive cuts in August for the first time in her LPGA career, world No. 1 Jin Young Ko took some time away from the tour due to a lingering wrist injury. Ko will be making her highly anticipated return to the tour at the BMW Ladies Championship.
Despite her nearly two-month absence from the LPGA Tour, Ko retained her No. 1 rank. She will also bring some good luck with her into the Oak Valley Country Club this week as the defending champion, having won in 2021 after birdieing the first hole in a play-off against Hee Jeong Lim. Ko’s victory last year marked the 200th LPGA Tour win by a Korean-born player.
Guaranteed Money, Guaranteed Drama
Though there are just four events to be played on the schedule, the 2022 season has yet to hit its climax with most of the end-of-the-year awards still on the line. The tournament will have no cut, guaranteeing money to all players, which means it’s guaranteed that those in the running for various honors will want to make some moves.
The two awards with the most competitors still in the running are the Rolex LPGA Player of the Year Award and the Aon Risk Reward Challenge. There are a whopping 18 players with a mathematical chance of winning player of the year – Minjee Lee, Brooke Henderson, Atthaya Thitikul and Lydia Ko lead that competition. Meanwhile, 22 players have a chance to overtake Lee (-0.906) in the Aon Risk Reward Challenge depending on their performance over the coming weeks.
The Last Dance
On October 5, Na Yeon Choi announced her retirement from professional golf through a statement on social media and revealed the BMW Ladies Championship will be her final event on the LPGA Tour.
She turned professional when she was 16 and joined the LPGA Tour in 2008. In 14 seasons on the tour, Choi collected nine LPGA titles, including the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open. A two-time champion in 2010, she was also the leading money winner and received the Vare Trophy that year. Her last win came in 2015 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G. In 16 starts this season, Choi has made five cuts.
A New Venue
After spending its first two years at LPGA International Busan, the BMW Ladies Championship will be migrating north to the Oak Valley Country Club. This year’s tournament will be the first major international competition held at the course. The Oak Valley Country Club, located in Wonju, Gangwon, Korea, is made up of four nine-hole courses: Oak, Maple, Pine and Cherry. The tournament will be played on a combination of the Oak, Maple and Cherry courses.
Homefield Advantage
The LPGA Tour’s Korean event has historically produced a leaderboard filled with Korean players. The past two winners of the BMW Ladies Championship have been Korean, with Ha Na Jang taking the inaugural title and Jin Young Ko following suit in 2021. In its first iteration, nine other Korean players joined Jang in the top-10. Including Ko, eight Korean players were in the top-10 last year. With those odds, it’s safe to bet that another Korean player will take this year’s BMW Ladies Championship title.
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