By: Max Bechtoldt
In honor of July 4th, let’s take a look at who the greats of the modern game on the LPGA Tour are who play under the United States flag. The only players eligible are those who have played the majority of their career in the 21st century. Here are the best players from the United States since the year 2000:
HM: Lilia Vu
I did want to include a spot for Vu, who very likely will be on this list soon, its just a bit early to have her in the top five. In just over two seasons on tour Vu already has five wins, two majors and an LPGA Tour Player of the Year Award. It won’t take much more for her to make this list.
No. 5. Lexi Thompson
Thompson’s full-time playing career is coming to an end in 2024, which has given many a chance to re-evaluate and appreciate her career. Thompson only has one major championship victory, but she has more close calls than anyone. Thompson has 13-career top-five finishes in majors and four runner-ups. In addition to her major championship career, Thompson also has 11 LPGA Tour wins and two Ladies European Tour victories. Thompson has been on six Solheim Cup teams and represented the United States twice in the Olympics.
No. 4. Brittany Lincicome
Every other player on this list has won at least two major championships, Brittany Lincicome included. Both of Lincicome’s majors concluded in leaps into Poppie’s Pond at Mission Hills, winning what is now the Chevron Championship. In addition to the two major wins, she also has 10 top-10 finishes in the biggest events of the year. Outside of the majors, Lincicome has eight career victories, 65 career top 10s and six Solheim Cup appearances.
No. 3. Stacy Lewis
The current Solheim Cup captain for the United States was seemingly on a hall of fame career path until the last few years. While the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame is probably now out of reach, she is still a modern great. With two major championships, two Vare Trophies (low score average) and two LPGA Tour Player of the year awards, it is hard to match Lewis’ legacy through the 2010s. Lewis has 12 top-five finishes in majors, and has won 13 events in her LPGA Tour career. Surprisingly, Lewis has only played in four Solheim Cups in her career but she did represent the United States at the 2016 Olympics.
No. 2. Nelly Korda
It was tough to decide just how much projecting to do here, as Korda will likely surpass No. 1 on this list by the time her career is over. Korda already has two majors in her career and 11 top-10 finishes in just about seven seasons. Korda also has 14 victories in her career, with six of them coming in 2024. While she doesn’t yet have an LPGA Tour Player of the Year award, that is inevitably soon to come, likely by the end of the year. Korda already holds the record for most weeks ranked No. 1 in the world of any American in history and has a stellar Solheim Cup record at 7-4-1. Korda will also be returning to the Olympics for the second time in 2024, after winning gold for the United States in Tokyo.
No. 1. Cristie Kerr
Right now, Kerr has the best resumé of anybody on the board. Kerr has two major championships with 25 career top-10s in the five biggest events of the year. Though she has played far longer than anyone on this list, since 1997, each of her 20 LPGA Tour wins have come since 2000. I actually think Kerr’s accomplishments are a bit underrated at this point. Kerr has played on nine Solheim Cup teams, going 18-14-6 in her career. In her final two Solheim Cups, she went a combined 6-0-2. Somehow, through this incredible career that was one of the best of the 2000’s, Kerr never won a player of the year trophy, but her best years overlapped with legends like Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa.
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