A total of 43 players earned more than $1 million on the LPGA Tour last year. The number of golfers crossing the $1 million threshold has grown sharply in recent years — from 15 in 2021 to 27 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 34 in 2024, and 43 last year. The surge reflects a dramatic expansion in prize money, particularly at major championships. Eight Korean players also surpassed $1 million in earnings last year. On today's LPGA Tour, $1 million has become the benchmark for success.
And once a year, exactly one additional player walks away with another $1 million. That is the winner of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, which carries a $1 million bonus. The event designates a strategically demanding hole at each tournament, then takes a player's best two scores from the four rounds and ranks competitors by the lowest cumulative score over the season. As the name suggests, players willing to take risks tend to have the edge.
Since the award was first handed out in 2021, no Korean player has yet claimed the $1 million prize. Hannah Green of Australia won in 2021, followed by Korean-Australian Minjee Lee in 2022, Angel Yin of the United States in 2023, Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand in 2024, and Jennifer Kupcho of the United States last year.
In terms of ranking, Kim Hyo-joo's third-place finish in 2023 was the best showing by a Korean player. By stroke margin, Kim A-lim came closest to first with her fourth-place finish last year. The gap between Kupcho at 0.925 under par and Kim A-lim at 0.909 under par was just 0.016 strokes. With Minjee Lee at 0.921 under par and Thitikul at 0.912 under par, the race was fiercely tight.
This year, two Korean women have emerged as strong contenders for the prize — Kim Hyo-joo and Yoon Ina, players with sharply contrasting styles. Kim Hyo-joo demonstrates exceptional skill in putting and the short game, while Yoon prefers an aggressive style built around her long drives.
With 12 tournaments completed, the current Aon Risk Reward Challenge standings are: Ryann O'Toole of the United States in first at 1.250 under par, Kim Hyo-joo in second at 1.000 under par, Gaby Lopez of Mexico in third at 0.938 under par, Yoon Ina in fourth at 0.889 under par, and Akie Iwai of Japan in fifth at 0.818 under par. O'Toole holds a sizable lead, but at 39 years old and with her world ranking having slipped to 105th, it remains uncertain how long she can sustain the score.
Of course, the Aon Risk Reward Challenge is the kind of award that can slip further away the more a player focuses on it. Still, Kim Hyo-joo — who has captured two victories this year and is playing at the peak of her game — and Yoon Ina — currently seventh in earnings and eighth in scoring average — are unquestionably strong candidates to be this year's $1 million winner.
