After missing last week’s Drive On Championship, World No.1 Lydia Ko returns for the DIO Implant LA Open.
A tie for 31st in the HSBC Women’s World Championship earlier in the month aside, Ko’s performances have consolidated her standing at the top of the world rankings in recent months. Since the turn of the year, she has had three top-10 finishes across the LET and LPGA Tour, including victory in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International in February.
While she will be up against another high-quality field this week, including defending champion Nasa Hataoka, the New Zealander will surely be confident of taking her excellent form into the tournament as she bids for her 20th LPGA Tour title.
The event is taking place at a new venue, Palos Verdes Golf Club, after it had been held at Wilshire Country Club for the previous four years. This year’s venue was the host of last May’s Palos Verdes Championship. Back then, Marina Alex claimed victory, and she’ll surely be confident of another strong display this week given her relatively recent success there.
Like Ko, another player hoping to build on recent momentum will be Georgia Hall. The World No.13 missed out on her third LPGA Tour win last week when she was defeated in a playoff by Celine Boutier, but that display will have offered her plenty of encouragement as she looks for her first win on the Tour since the 2020 Cambia Portland Classic.
There are plenty more of the world’s best in this week’s field, not least World No.2 Nelly Korda. The American could only manage a tie for 57th last week, but her runner-up finish at the HSBC Women’s World Championship suggested she is not far away from her best form as she goes in search of her first win since November’s Pelican Women’s Championship.
World No.3 Jin Young Ko is in the field too. She beat Korda to that title in Singapore three weeks ago and followed that up with a tie for fifth last week. All the signs are that she has put her injury ravaged 2022 firmly behind her.
Thai World No.4 Atthaya Thitikul also plays. She has been on an impressive run of her own, with 10 top-10 finishes in her last 12 starts. However, she wasn’t quite at her best last week and could only manage a tie for 16th.
Two more players in the world’s top 10 also appear, World No.9 In Gee Chun and World No.10 Hyo-Joo Kim. Beyond that elite group, Honda LPGA Thailand winner Lilia Vu appears, as do Ireland’s Leona Maguire, World No.15 Danielle Kang, and AIG Women’s Open champion Ashleigh Buhai.
Elsewhere, LPGA Tour rookies Lucy Li and Gabriella Then will be hoping to impress in their native California.
Players are competing for a purse of $1.75m, with $262,500 awarded to the winner.
Below is the full prize breakdown and field for the 2023 DIO Implant LA Open.
DIO Implant LA Open Prize Money
DIO Implant LA Open Field
- Marina Alex
- Brittany Altomare
- Narin An
- Pajaree Anannarukarn
- Aditi Ashok
- Jaravee Boonchant
- Celine Borge
- Ashleigh Buhai
- Matilda Castren
- Jennifer Chang
- Ching-Tzu Chen (a)
- Peiyun Chien
- Hye-Jin Choi
- Chella Choi
- In Gee Chun
- Karen Chung
- Carlota Ciganda
- Allisen Corpuz
- Lauren Coughlin
- Paula Creamer
- Daniela Darquea
- Perrine Delacour
- Amanda Doherty
- Gemma Dryburgh
- Jodi Ewart Shadoff
- Ally Ewing
- Dana Fall
- Maria Fassi
- Ayaka Furue
- Isi Gabsa
- Luna Sobron Galmes
- Sofia Garcia
- Hannah Green
- Georgia Hall
- Mina Harigae
- Lauren Hartlage
- Nasa Hataoka
- Esther Henseleit
- Daniela Holmqvist
- Yaeeun Hong
- Yu-Sang Hou
- Wei-Ling Hsu
- Charley Hull
- Caroline Inglis
- Eun Hee Ji
- Linnea Johansson
- Soo Bin Joo
- Moriya Jutanugarn
- Ariya Jutanugarn
- Danielle Kang
- Haeji Kang
- Minami Katsu
- Sarah Kemp
- Cristie Kerr
- Megan Khang
- Hyo Joo Kim
- Sei Young Kim
- A Lim Kim
- In Kyung Kim
- Grace Kim
- Gina Kim
- Frida Kinhult
- Cheyenne Knight
- Lydia Ko
- Jin Young Ko
- Nelly Korda
- Jessica Korda
- Aline Krauter
- Jennifer Kupcho
- Stephanie Kyriacou
- Ines Laklalech
- Bronte Law
- Maude-Aimee Leblanc
- Mi Hyang Lee
- Andrea Lee
- Alison Lee
- Min Lee
- Jeongeun Lee5
- Jeongeun Lee6
- Stacy Lewis
- Lucy Li
- Xiyu Lin
- Brittany Lincicome
- Pernilla Lindberg
- Yan Liu
- Yu Liu
- Ruixin Liu
- Gaby Lopez
- Polly Mack
- Nanna Koerstz Madsen
- Leona Maguire
- Stephanie Meadow
- Wichanee Meechai
- Morgane Metraux
- Azahara Munoz
- Yuna Nishimura
- Yealimi Noh
- Ryann O'Toole
- Alexa Pano
- Sung Hyun Park
- Annie Park
- Kum-Kang Park
- Emily Kristine Pedersen
- Pornanong Phatlum
- Valery Plata
- Mel Reid
- Riley Rennell
- Paula Reto
- Kiira Riihijarvi
- Pauline Roussin
- So Yeon Ryu
- Hae Ran Ryu
- Madelene Sagstrom
- Lizette Salas
- Yuka Saso
- Sarah Schmelzel
- Sophia Schubert
- Hinako Shibuno
- Jenny Shin
- Jennifer Song
- Maja Stark
- Lauren Stephenson
- Linnea Strom
- Ellinor Sudow
- Jasmine Suwannapura
- Maddie Szeryk
- Elizabeth Szokol
- Emma Talley
- Kelly Tan
- Bailey Tardy
- Patty Tavatanakit
- Gabriella Then
- Atthaya Thitikul
- Mariajo Uribe
- Albane Valenzuela
- Lilia Vu
- Samantha Wagner
- Chanettee Wannasaen
- Lindsey Weaver-Wright
- Amy Yang
- Angel Yin
- Xiaowen Yin
- Ruoning Yin
- Pavarisa Yoktuan
Where Is The DIO Implant LA Open Played?
The 2023 DIO Implant LA Open will be played at Palos Verdes Golf Club having been held at Wilshire Country Club for the previous four years. The new venue was also the location for last May's Palos Verdes Championship.
Who Is In The Field For DIO Implant LA Open?
Last year's champion Nasa Hataoka is back to defend her title, while many more of the world's best also play, including World No.2 Nelly Korda, World No.3 Jin young Ko and World No.4 Atthaya Thitikul. However, the player most attention will be on is World No.1 Lydia Ko.
