Sport / Olympics 2024

Kiwi golfers Lydia Ko and Momoka Kobori eligible for Olympic selection

10:52 am on 25 June 2024

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko (Bronze Medal) Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 7th August 2021. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021 / John Cowpland

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko and Momoka Kobori have made the cut of 60 to be eligible for selection for the Paris Olympics.

The 60-player field for the Olympic women's golf competition was set after the release of the latest world rankings following the weekends PGA Championship in Washington.

Three Americans will compete at Le Golf National in Paris, France, 7-10 August: Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang, the world Nos. 1, 2 and 9, respectively.

Two players can qualify per country unless they are ranked inside the top 15 in the OWGR, then up to four can earn spots.

South Korea will now get three Olympians after Amy Yang won her first major title at Sahalee this week and rose from No. 20 to No. 5 in the Rankings.

She will join world No. 3 Jin Young Ko and No. 13 Hyo Joo Kim in Paris.

Ko will be chasing a third medal in Paris, after winning silver in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and bronze in Tokyo in 2021.

Japan-born Kobori has two Australian LPGA tour titles including last year's New South Wales Open.

The 25-year-old turned professional in 2021.

Her younger brother Kazuma turned professional last year.

Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier were confirmed in the men's top 60 for Paris last week.

The players' places will now be confirmed by the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

New Zealand’s Momoka Kobori tees off during the final day of the Australian Open golf tournament, 2023. Photo: AFP

60 qualified players (world ranking):

US

Nelly Korda (1)

Lilia Vu (2)

Rose Zhang (9)

SOUTH KOREA

Jin Young Ko (3)

Amy Yang (5)

Hyo-Joo Kim (13)

CHINA

Ruoning Yin (4)

Xiyu Lin (15)

FRANCE

Celine Boutier (6)

Perrine Delacour (75)

AUSTRALIA

Hannah Green (7)

Minjee Lee (11)

GREAT BRITAIN

Charley Hull (8)

Georgia Hall (36)

JAPAN

Yuka Saso (10)

Miyu Yamashita (19)

THAILAND

Atthaya Thitikul (12)

Patty Tavatanakit (25)

CANADA

Brooke M. Henderson (14)

Alena Sharp (292)

NEW ZEALAND

Lydia Ko (17)

Momoka Kobori (293)

SWEDEN

Maja Stark (21)

Linn Grant (26)

SPAIN

Carlota Ciganda (30)

Azahara Munoz (109)

IRELAND

Leona Maguire (32)

Stephanie Meadow (134)

SOUTH AFRICA

Ashleigh Buhai (41)

Paula Reto (196)

INDIA

Aditi Ashok (60)

Diksha Dagar (167)

MEXICO

Gaby Lopez (62)

Maria Fassi (186)

GERMANY

Esther Henseleit (64)

Alexandra Forsterling (69)

SWITZERLAND

Albane Valenzuela (70)

Morgane Metraux (127)

DENMARK

Emily Kristine Pedersen (87)

Nanna Koerstz Madsen (106)

CHINESE TAPEI

Peiyun Chien (88)

Wei-Ling Hsu (161)

NETHERLANDS

Anne van Dam (108)

Dewi Weber (302)

PHILIPPINES

Bianca Pagdanganan (113)

Dottie Ardina (298)

BELGIUM

Manon de Roey (154)

AUSTRIA

Emma Spitz (178)

SINGAPORE

Shannon Tan (181)

NORWAY

Celine Borge (187)

Madelene Stavnar (307)

CZECH REPUBLIC

Klara Davidson Spilkova (192)

Sara Kouskova (290)

COLOMBIA

Mariajo Uribe (198)

ITALY

Alessandra Fanali (211)

MALAYSIA

Ashley Lau (279)

FINLAND

Ursula Wikstrom (286)

Noora Komulainen (301)

SLOVENIA

Ana Belac (288)

MOROCCO

Ines Laklalech (321)