The 2025 LPGA Tour season was mostly defined by two huge storylines, the dominance from Japan and the incredible play of the rookie class. The next player on the Player of the Year list was a huge part of both stories.
Chizzy Iwai entered the year arguably in her twin sister, Akie’s, shadow. While Chizzy had eight JLPGA wins to Akie’s six, Akie had performed better in major championships with two top-10 finishes in 2024, and she was ranked higher in the Rolex Rankings.
Iwai had some rough patches early, including a costly penalty that made her miss the cut in Utah and no top 10 finishes for the first seven events of the season. She flipped it around quickly though with a dominant win in Mexico and top 15 finishes at both the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship. Coming off the European swing, she finished top three at The Standard Portland Classic.
Iwai’s last missed cut was in August at the Women’s Open and she had five top-15 finishes across her final eight events. Overall, she made 20/26 cuts, had five top-10 finishes and that one win, she finished No. 15 in the CME Standings.
The issue that Chizzy and her sister had at times was inconsistency, but that cleared up significantly at the end of the year, where Iwai was playing solid golf. If she can hit the ground running, avoiding an early-season slump, her stats could really surprise people.
Chizzy is a solidly well-rounded player, though she certainly thrives most in the tee-to-green portion of the game. If she can improve her already decent putting, it will be tough to find anything even close to a weakness.
Look out for both Iwai twins this year, they may soon become some of the biggest names in the sport.
About the Author
