How rich is Lydia Ko? LPGA star’s net worth explored

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko began her career at a very young age, becoming the youngest millionaire on the LPGA Tour in 2014 after winning the Marathon Classic and receiving $1 million in prize money.

Ko, the former World No. 1, is the youngest golfer in history to surpass the $2 million mark and $3 million in her career earnings. Her estimated net worth is approximately $14 million and has earned over $12 million in prize money. Lydia, who is currently World No. 3, added significantly to her wealth from her playing career and endorsements.

Her successful career earned her a contract with Lululemon, a golf clothing company for whom she is an elite ambassador. Ko had also signed a $14.5 million deal with PXG.

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko (image via LPGA Tour)

The star golfer has endorsed numerous brands including Lexus, Rolex, GMAD Officials, Evian, and ECCO.

She earned $2 million from her three LPGA Tours and made around $7,774,276 from her playing career, as reported by Players Wiki.

Her annual salary is around $3 million, including prize money and endorsements. She is one of the world's richest female golfers.

Lydia Ko's early life and career

Lydia Ko is a Korean-born Kiwi golfer. She was born on April 24, 1997, in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, before her family moved to New Zealand when she was four, after which she gained Kiwi citizenship at the age of 12.

Ko developed an interest in golf at the age of five after her mother introduced her to the sport. By the time Ko was seven, she had participated in the New Zealand national amateur championship.

Lydia Ko (image via LPGA Tour)

At 14, she won her first professional tour event by winning the Women's NSW Open on the ALPG Tour. With the victory, Ko became the youngest player to win on a professional golf tour. However, the record was later broken by Brooke Henderson.

Her accolades include being the youngest player to win on the LPGA Tour at the age of 15.

Besides this, Ko became the youngest woman at 18 years, 4 months, and 20 days old to win a major championship after registering her win at the Evian Championship.

In 2014, she won the CME Group Tour Championship and became the world's No. 1 female golfer in the following years. However, her career also witnessed a downfall.

In 2018, Lydia struggled with her performance. Nonetheless, she started working with Sean Foley soon after and became world No. 3 after just two years of training. For the unversed, Lydia was in a relationship with her coach Sean. They broke up recently.

Lydia Ko with her coach Sean Foley

Lydia Ko is the recipient of several awards and was named one of the most influential athletes to have impacted women's sports.

Ko was named the young New Zealander of the year in 2016 for her exceptional performance on the course. Moreover, in honor of her services to golf, Lydia was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.