World No.1 Korda and second-ranked Ko are separated by a mere 10 points in the race for LPGA player of the year, with the American taking the lead with her play-off victory last week.
“It’s crazy because usually I come to this event and I’m so far away from that,” Korda said.
Both have a chance to finish the year with a sub-69 scoring average, a feat accomplished only once on the LPGA Tour, nearly 20 years ago by Annika Sorenstam.
They play together in the opening round on Thursday because of their 1-2 standing in the Race to CME Globe, along with Lydia Ko at No.3, who has reason to feel she’s just along for the ride.
“I might be third in the Race to CME, but I feel like I’m 100 compared to them,” New Zealander Ko said.
However, there is plenty at stake for Ko – who is the likely winner of the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average this season – and the entire 60-player field in Florida.
The LPGA Tour has a points race all year that effectively becomes winner-take-all at the end.
The math has never been simpler: Whoever wins the tournament – whether that’s Korda at No.1, Australian trio Minjee Lee, Hannah Green or Su Oh, or Jenny Coleman at No.60 – gets the biggest prize in women’s golf and is crowned the Race to CME Globe champion.
“It would be crazy to win that,” Korda said.
“Everyone would get a nice Christmas present.”
It gets even bigger next year.
The tournament organisers announced on Wednesday the Tour Championship will offer a $7m ($A9.6m) purse in 2022, with $2m ($A2.8m) to the winner and $40,000 ($A55,000) for last place.
South Korean Ko won it last year in only her fourth LPGA event of the pandemic-delayed year.
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