‘EWA BEACH — While the PGA Tour previously announced plans to move away from the state of Hawai‘i, the LPGA is still sending its best to the Islands.
The 2026 Lotte Championship, which runs from Oct. 1-4 at Hoakalei Country Club, will feature a bevy of players featured in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, including No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, No. 4 Hyo Joo Kim and No. 5 Miyu Yamashita. Thitkul and Kim are in the same group and tee off at 7:22 a.m., while Yamashita tees off at 12:03 p.m.
Though world No. 1 Nelly Korda will not play this week, the Lotte field includes a return for 2021 champion Lydia Ko, one of the biggest names in the sport. Ko, who was born in South Korea and raised in New Zealand, ascended into worldwide superstardom when she reached the top spot in the women's rankings at just 17 years old, becoming the youngest player among both men and women to be ranked No. 1. Now 29, Ko enters the tournament with a world ranking of 13.
Among her 23 victories on the LPGA Tour was the 2021 Lotte, which was moved to Kapolei Golf Club. Her 28-under 260 was a tournament record by eight strokes. After finishing in a tie for 18th in the 2022 Lotte, Ko will compete in the Islands for the first time since then. Five years after her first Lotte victory, she believes there's a lot that can be replicated despite playing on a different course.
"I just remember I played with a lot of freedom and confidence, and I think I could draw on a lot of that, like the mindset of how I was playing then," Ko said during her pre-tournament press conference. "But it is two very different style of golf courses, so it's hard to kind of compare those. But more like kind of the mindset I played with, I think that is something that I could draw not only for this event but the events coming up (for the rest of the season)."
While Ko made history with her unprecedented world ranking at 17 years old, she enters this year's Lotte with an opportunity to earn another milestone in the sport.
Despite not reaching 30 yet, Ko has accumulated $21.8 million in career earnings. She is $223,228 away from surpassing Annika Sorenstam's mark as the LPGA's all-time money winner, a record that has stood since 2001.
The 2026 Lotte carries a purse of $3 million, with the winner getting a $450,000 cut. Meanwhile, second place earns $282,976 and third place comes with a payout of $205,279, meaning Ko will need to finish in the top two to surpass Sorenstam this weekend.
"To be honest, it's really not on my mind," Ko said of the money record. "I mean, Annika had (72) wins, and we are just playing in a very different generation where we're playing for so much more money.
"As golfers, we're very lucky because it's one of those rare things where if we perform, we get rewarded, and not all work, not all careers have that. I'm just very grateful to be in this position and be able to excel at my job and have great payout days. But my career versus Annika, it's so different, and I don't think I'm gonna reach 70 something wins in the time that I'll be playing. Obviously, I want to win as many as I can, and I'm still eager for the trophy more so than the prize money."
As for local golfers in the tournament field, Punahou alumna golfer Allisen Corpuz is the highest ranked player with Hawai‘i ties at 32. Meanwhile, Moanalua alumna and Kapolei Golf Club assistant Lani Luafalealo returns after debuting in the 2025 Lotte. Luafalealo shot a 1-under 71 in the first round but ultimately missed the cut.
"The pressure, the intimidation of the course, the atmosphere, the environment was just totally different from what I was used to," she said on Wednesday. "I just took the competition and the competitiveness from last year, and that's what I learned."
As Ko tees off at the first hole at 11:52 a.m. on Thursday, her presence will be a welcome sight for local golf fans eager to get a glimpse of one of the top names in the sport. In return, she'll compete in a locale she's genuinely fond of.
"I love coming to Hawai‘i," Ko said. "Not even for a golf tournament. I like coming here for vacation. We were here on a vacation last week. It's been a while since I actually have been to O‘ahu. I went to the Big Island last year for some work and vacay, but I think the people are great. It feels a little bit like New Zealand in parts, and the food is good. I've loved it more as I've gotten older, and I actually met my husband here in Hawai‘i. So, it's kind of become a very special place for us."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
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