"We’ve seen the big purse jumps for our Major championships" - Lydia Ko hopeful for pay equality in golf
Many tournaments, including major events, have increased their purse size significantly in recent times. Lydia Ko feels this investment and recognition should continue in women's golf.
Ko was quoted by Strait Times:
“Even on the LPGA, we’ve seen that kind of momentum of more partners supporting and believing in the women’s game. We’ve seen the big purse jumps for our Major championships and even other ones as well."
The pay disparity between men's and women's sports is nothing new. However, there have been gradual consistent efforts to narrow the gap.
In recent years, there have been significant efforts to narrow down the pay disparity between men and women in golf. As a result, LPGA Tour has elevated its combined purse size for this year to $101.4 million compared to last year's $93.5 million in 2022.
The Ladies European Tour has also elevated their prize money for this season. Saudi Ladies International had the same purse size as the men's event ($5 million). Lydia Ko hopes that more partners will follow the trend and that there will be more equality between men's and women's golf.
She said:
“I get to play alongside the best female golfers week in, week out – I sometimes get goosebumps seeing how good they are – so it’s great that we have these partners stepping forward, being with us and believing in women empowerment.”
Where is Lydia Ko playing?
Lydia Ko is currently in Singapore for the Aramco Team Series Singapore, which teed off on Thursday (February 16). The purse size of the three-day event at Laguna National Golf Club is US$1 million.
Aramco Team Series Singapore is the Ladies European Tour (LET). The Series features both individual and team events being played simultaneously. The team category had 36 holes over two days, with the top two scores being counted.
Team Wolf won the Aramco Team Series by posting the final round of 14-under-par to clinch a one-stroke victory. The team had Christine Wolf as their captain alongside Casandra Alexander, Eleanor Givens, and amateur Katsuko Blalock.
Wolf said after the win:
“We all knew we needed a birdie on the last few holes and thank god the girls pulled through, . "They’ve all played really well for the whole two days and I couldn’t be prouder!”
In the individual portion, France’s Pauline Roussin, South Africa’s Nicole Garcia, and American Danielle Kang lead with a score of 7-under-par after 36 holes at Laguna National Golf Resort Club.
Garcia posted a second-round run of 2-under 70 with the help of three birdies and a bogey. Roussin carded a second round of 3-under 69. In her second round, she holed five birdies and two bogeys.
Netherlands' Anne Van Dam, Austria’s Emma Spitz, and Sweden’s Linn Grant sit at T-4 with two strokes behind the table toppers. World No. 1 Lydia Ko, Klara Davidson Spilkova of Czechia, Nicole Broch Estrup of Denmark, Bronte Law of England, and Chiara Noja of Germany are tied for seventh place at four-under-par.