Lydia Ko broke the winless drought of 2023 on the LPGA Tour as she won the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. The Kiwi golfer is now contesting for her career’s 21st victory at the Bradenton Country Club sitting at T2 alongside Megan Khang as Nelly Korda leads the field.

With her next adventure at the Drive On Championship, the 26-year-old is inching closer to entering the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame. How many more points would Ko require to secure her place on the Hall of Fame list?

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Lydia Ko contest for Hall of Fame points

The LPGA Tour has a qualifying criteria for Hall of Fame inductions. A member of the Tour earning 27 points in their playing career will be joining the Hall of Fame list. There are three ways of earning points: winning an LPGA Tour event (1 point), winning a major (2 points), or getting awarded the Care Trophy or Rolex Player of the Year Award (1 point).

As per Lydia Ko’s career, she won the majors twice (2015 Evian Championship, 2-16 ANA Inspiration). Moreover, she has been awarded the Vare Trophy and Player of the Year, two times each with eighteen LPGA Tour victories, the recent one being the HGV Tournament of Champions.

This makes Ko’s points to be 26 and only one point away from getting into the Hall of Fame. If the Orlando resident wins the Drive On Championship, she will become the 35th LPGA Hall of Famer and the seventh woman to win more than 20 times on the Tour before turning 27.

This is the most notable comeback in Ko’s career. From going winless in 2023, and securing only two top finishes to starting her 2024 season with a victor and contesting for the next event, the 26-year-old golfer is on the rise to take her world number one title back. As she nears the Hall of Fame tag, Ko has already given fans a teaser of her feelings about LPGA’s Hall of Fame.

Lydia Ko gets candid about getting into the Hall of Fame

After her HGV victory, Lydia Ko knew she was only one step away from the Hall of Fame group. At the post-match interview, she said, “I almost feel more comfortable being a point away than two points away”. She further described that she is feeling confident after her first win that she can take next as well.

Read More: Lydia Ko WITB January 2024: All About the LPGA Star’s Golf Gear

However, if she cannot earn that one point, Ko is not going to let it disappoint her. Per her theory, the 2x major champion is going to give her the best. But if things did not turn out right, it was “just not meant to be” hers. Regardless of the expected results, Ko is aiming to play her best golf and enjoy the time on the course.

Interestingly, only 5 players have earned their way into LPGA’s Hall over the last 21 years. These include notable names like Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam. As Lydia Ko remains one victory away, some are hoping to follow. Jim Young Ko (20 points) has a probable chance while 2-time Player of the Year, Stacy Lewis (19 points) has a slim chance.

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