The Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year is already wrapped up with one tournament still to play, and it goes to Japan’s Miyu Yamashita.
Yamashita beat one of the greatest rookie classes ever, filled with immediate superstars of the LPGA Tour. In all, seven rookies, Yamashita, Rio Takeda, Akie Iwai, Chisato Iwai, Miranda Wang, Lottie Woad and Ingrid Lindblad, won in 2025. That is a record for most rookie winners in the Tour’s history.
While many rookies had big moments, none were bigger than Yamashita’s win at the AIG Women’s Open, she was the only rookie to win a major in 2025. Yamashita added to that with a win at the Maybank Championship, becoming the only rookie to win twice on the LPGA Tour this season.
Yamashita didn’t just have the wins to take this award home, she was also the most consistent rookie on the LPGA Tour. Yamashita made 22/24 cuts and finished in the top 10 a startling 12 times. Despite being one of the shortest hitters on the Tour, she currently is No. 5 in total strokes gained and leads the LPGA in putting.
Yamashita has risen to No. 3 in the Rolex Rankings, and she isn’t quite done yet. She currently is behind only Jeeno Thitikul in the Player of the Year standings, and with a win at the CME Group Tour Championship, she could win the Player of the Year award as well.
With this win, Yamashita is the second player from Japan in a row to take home the Rookie of the Year Award after Mao Saigo won it in 2024.
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