Minjee Lee wary of Lydia Ko challenge at BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea
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Lydia Ko won Olympic gold in Paris in August and then ended her eight-year Major drought at the Women’s British Open two weeks later.
PHOTO: AFP
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SEOUL – Defending champion Minjee Lee on Oct 16 warned that red-hot Lydia Ko will be the player to beat at the Oct 17-20 BMW Ladies Championship as the LPGA Tour returns to South Korea.
Australia’s Lee, born in Perth to South Korean parents, beat American Alison Lee in a play-off to win the 2023 title and returns to compete at Seowon Valley Country Club.
She will face a stiff challenge from 2022 champion Ko, who won Olympic gold in Paris in August and then ended her eight-year Major drought at the Women’s British Open at St Andrews two weeks later.
New Zealander Ko, the world No. 3, also won the LPGA Queen City Championship in September and Lee knows her rival will be difficult to stop this week.
“You can’t really pick one person because the depth of the field is so deep,” the world No. 17 said.
“But I do think Lydia has had such a great back half of the year so far.
“She’s got really great form.”
Lee added that she also expects a strong challenge from China’s Yin Ruoning, who won her fourth LPGA title on Oct 13 in Shanghai, and South Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran, a winner at TPC Boston in September.
Also competing this week are world No. 2 Lilia Vu, two-time Major winner Yuka Saso, Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul and American Lauren Coughlin.
Lee has yet to win a title in 2024 and she said the course for the 72-hole, no-cut event was in better shape than in 2023.
“There’s much more grass on pretty much every single green,” she said.
“There are a few patches but I think (there’s nothing) now to worry about. Overall, I think the greens are in really good condition.”
One thing she does not need to worry about is world No. 1 Nelly Korda.
The American announced on Oct 14 that she had withdrawn from the next two tournaments on the LPGA Tour’s Asia swing after hurting her neck during practice.
After the BMW Ladies Championship, players will head to Kuala Lumpur for the Oct 24-27 Maybank Championship.
“Unfortunately, I’ve had to withdraw from the LPGA events in Korea and Malaysia due to a minor neck injury I sustained while practising,” Korda posted on social media on Oct 14.
“I’m disappointed to miss these events and am especially sorry to my fans who were looking forward to seeing me play.
“I’m currently resting and working with my team to get better.
“Thank you for all your support – it truly means the world to me!”
She did not say when she plans to return to competition.
All six of Korda’s victories in 2024 came before June. She won on five consecutive starts, culminating at the Chevron Championship, her second career Major title.
The 26-year-old holds a lead of more than 1,200 points over Ko in the season-long Race to the CME Globe standings.
Korda has yet to win the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. AFP, REUTERS
