BMW Ladies Championship is set to return to Korea on 19th October. At the start of the Asian Fall Swing, LPGA arrives in Seoul after stopping at Shanghai for the Buicks LPGA Championship. Lydia Ko will travel to her country of birth to defend her title. The race for the $2.2 million prize with no cut will start on 19th October.
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Being the only LPGA event held in Korea, the BMW Ladies Championship has generated extra attention in the East Asian country. Last year, 81,675 fans watched Lydia Ko lift the trophy. Ahead of the tournament, here is everything you need to know about the tee-off timings and prize money for the players.
Where is the BMW Ladies Championship 2023 going to be held?
The event first became a part of the LPGA circle in 2019. However, it was hosted at LPGA International Busan. Last year, it was held at Oak Valley Country Club in Wonju, Gangwon. This time, Seowon Valley Country Club in Goju is hosting the event for the first time. As per the official website, the golf course went through specific modifications, particularly for this year’s tournament, like the addition of 86 new bunkers.
Who are the past winners?
Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko bagged the title last year, scoring 65 in the final round. Since its inception, this tournament has been exclusively won by Korean-born golfers. Cho Yoon-ji won the tournament in its inaugural edition. Although Ko is a New Zealand citizen, she was born in South Korea before emigrating to the West Pacific country.
Imago
Image Courtesy: IMAGO
How to watch the BMW Ladies Championship
NBC Golf has the telecasting right of the event in the USA. The event will be telecast from 11 PM to 3 AM PST on NBC Golf and can be streamed live on Peacock. Here is the full schedule for the four-day event.
| Date | Round |
| Thursday, 19 October 2023 | 1st Round |
| Friday, 20 October 2023 | 2nd Round |
| Saturday, 21 October 2023 | 3rd Round |
| Sunday, 22 October 2023 | 4th Round |
Players you should look out for at the BMW Ladies Championship
39 of the top 50 in the Rolex world ranking will tee it up in Seoul for the $2.2 million prize money. Some of the biggest names include defending champion Lydia Ko, current world no. 1 Lilia Vu, Ruoning Yin, Allisen Korpuz, Megan Khang, Solheim Cup winner Georgia Hal, Carlota Ciganda, and Anna Nordqvist. Ko is playing on a sponsor’s exemption at this year’s BMW Ladies Championship to defend her title.
However, it will be Nelly Korda who will draw much of the limelight, because of the former world no.1’s return to the greens after her prolonged hiatus following the Solheim Cup defeat. Here is a list of the top 39 players from the Rolex rankings.
| 1 | Lilia Vu |
| 2 | Ruoning Yin |
| 3 | Jin Young Ko |
| 4 | Nelly Korda |
| 5 | Celine Boutier |
| 6 | Hyo-Joo Kim |
| 7 | Minjee Lee |
| 10 | Allisen Corpuz |
| 11 | Brooke Henderson |
| 12 | Lydia Ko |
| 13 | Atthaya Thitikul |
| 14 | Megan Khang |
| 15 | Linn Grant |
| 16 | Jiyai Shin |
| 17 | Nasa Hataoka |
| 18 | Georgia Hall |
| 20 | Ashleigh Buhai |
| 21 | Ayaka Furue |
| 22 | Hannah Green |
| 24 | Yuka Saso |
| 26 | In Gee Chun |
| 27 | Hae Ran Ryu |
| 30 | Carlota Ciganda |
| 31 | Ye Won Lee |
| 32 | Hye Jin Choi |
| 33 | Jennifer Kupcho |
| 34 | Rose Zhang |
| 35 | Angel Yin |
| 37 | Danielle Kang |
| 38 | Amy Yang |
| 39 | Andrea Lee |
| 41 | Anna Nordqvist |
| 42 | Maja Stark |
| 43 | A Lim Kim |
| 45 | Sei Young Kim |
| 46 | Madelene Sagstrom |
| 47 | Gaby Lopez |
| 48 | Aditi Ashok |
| 50 | Jodi Ewart Shadoff |
Read More: LPGA Cover Girl Nelly Korda Reveals Her ‘Snuggle Buddy’ Days Amidst Her Imminent Comeback
What’s at stake for the LPGA stars?
The total purse for the event is $2,200,000. The winner will pocket $330,000 prize money, which has gone up by $30,000 since last year. The total prize money is also up by $20000, which means everyone’s share will be up to a certain extent. Here is the prize money breakdown for the top 30 players.
| Finishing Position | Payout |
| 1 | $330,000 |
| 2 | $200,792 |
| 3 | $145,660 |
| 4 | $112,680 |
| 5 | $90,695 |
| 6 | $74,204 |
| 7 | $62,112 |
| 8 | $54,417 |
| 9 | $48,920 |
| 10 | $44,523 |
| 11 | $41,224 |
| 12 | $38,476 |
| 13 | $36,057 |
| 14 | $33,859 |
| 15 | $31,879 |
| 16 | $30,120 |
| 17 | $28,582 |
| 18 | $27,264 |
| 19 | $26,165 |
| 20 | $25,284 |
| 21 | $24,406 |
| 22 | $23,525 |
| 23 | $22,647 |
| 24 | $21,767 |
| 25 | $20,997 |
| 26 | $20,229 |
| 27 | $19,457 |
| 28 | $18,688 |
| 29 | $17,919 |
| 30 | $17,259 |
Historically, South Koreans have enjoyed the home-field advantage and produced a leaderboard filled with Korean names. This time, as the dominant LPGA stars descend on Seoul, it’ll be interesting to watch and see if anyone can break the mold.
Watch this Story: Days After Getting Emotionally and Physically Drained, Nelly Korda Makes a Critical Career Decision