The Aramco Saudi Ladies International has announced that Lydia Ko is confirmed for the field in mid-February. The World No. 1 and newlywed won the event in 2021, though this year’s field will compete for a substantially larger purse. The $5 million prize fund is the largest in Ladies European Tour history outside of the majors.
The 2023 LPGA season kicks off later this month with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona, where Ko has a home. The deadline to enter the TOC is 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 10, and so far, Ko, who is honeymooning, is not on the confirmed list.
The Saudi Ladies International will take place at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club from Feb. 16-19, ahead of the LPGA’s Asian swing featuring stops in Thailand, Singapore and China. There’s a one-month break on the LPGA schedule between the TOC and the Asian swing.
Ko won three times last season, including the CME Group Tour Championship in November, and rose to No. 1 once again after the season concluded. She married Jun Chung on Dec. 30 at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea. It’s possible that the Saudi stop will be her first event in 2023.
“I remember my time at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International very fondly,” Ko said in a release, “having won the title here a few years back. I’m looking forward to returning to Saudi Arabia in a few months to build on my 2022.”
The 120-player field in Saudi will feature 60 LET players, 50 from the top 300 in the Rolex Rankings and a maximum of 10 sponsor invites. The winner will receive $750,000.
“I’m thrilled to see golf is moving in the direction towards equal prize money,” Ko continued, “it is something I believe all the ladies on tour have been striving hard for. I’m grateful to those backing the women’s game who have believed in us and are committed to taking the sport to the next level. We’re moving in the right direction, and I believe it’s only going to get much better from here for women’s golf.”
In addition to the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, the 2023 LET schedule also features the Aramco Team Series, comprised of five events staged across the globe. Winners of last year’s Aramco Team events include Manon De Roey, Bronte Law, Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson. The final event in the series takes place in Saudi Arabia.
The LET’s Saudi-backed events remain controversial given the wide-ranging human rights abuses Saudi Arabia has been accused of, especially toward women.
