We are at the halfway point of the LPGA Tour season believe it or not, and it has been a terrific one. We have seen superstars thrive and some instant classics already. Here is our ranking of every tournament of the year:
No. 16 – Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions – This is in the bottom spot, and will likely remain there all year, by default. This event was unexpectedly shortened on Sunday afternoon, leaving everyone a bit disappointed. The elements all week led to some incredible drama, and unfortunately some discussion about “fairness”. Nelly Korda won after having the low score through 54 holes, but even the biggest Nelly fans would’ve liked to see her earn it in the final round. A disappointing end to a fun first few days.
No. 15 – Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba – Even when this event was close at times on the weekend, the result just never felt in doubt. Nelly Korda was in the midst of playing some of the best golf of the decade on the LPGA Tour, and as soon as she reached that final group on Sunday, the result felt like a formality. Korda indeed raced out to a big lead on Sunday and maintained that, cruising to a four-stroke lead. Dominance can be fun to watch in golf, but when it is against a lower quality field, it doesn’t have that same feeling.
No. 14 – Ford Championship – The narratives were there to set up a fantastic Sunday. Korda and Kim had played just the week before in the final group of the Fortinet Founders Cup, where Kim won a thriller. Now, they were set to duel it out again, two major champions playing some of the best golf of their careers. Unfortunately, it didn’t really have a satisfying payoff. Korda stumbled too often on the back nine while Kim stayed steady with just one exception on the front nine. Despite Korda finishing eagle-birdie on the last two holes, the result was already well decided as Kim still won by two strokes.
No. 13 – Mizuho Americas Open – Jeeno Thitikul didn’t have to do much on Sunday at the Mizuho Americas Open. Coming in with a big lead, her closest competitors fell back early, leading to a dominant four-stroke victory. Thitikul’s best friend Ruoning Yin added some drama early in the front nine, but fell back shortly after TV coverage began, and with the extremely difficult course, it was tough to envision anyone making a run at the No. 2 ranked player in the world.
No. 12 – Dow Championship – This event, as usual, had one of the most fun results, giving recent Epson Tour graduates Yana Wilson and Gina Kim their first wins and introducing them to the LPGA Tour fanbase at large. That was a good introduction, as this was a fun, super likable team that seemed to have a great time sharing their first wins. That being said, the result was mostly decided throughout the back nine, especially on the last few holes. With all the dramatic finishes this season on the LPGA Tour, this one falls a bit down the list.
No. 11 – The Chevron Championship – I mentioned earlier how dominance can be fun to watch in golf, but maybe not against a lower level field. Well, Nelly Korda’s dominance against one of the best fields in women’s golf was a bit more fun. Nelly Korda absolutely dominated the first major of the season, lapping the field and building up an insurmountable lead. But, sometimes that can be a good thing. Korda really stamped her mark as being back to being the unquestioned best player on the Tour and did it in style. Was Sunday a bit boring? Yes. But this really felt like watching an all-time great at her best, and there is value in that.
No. 10 – Aramco Championship – Lauren Coughlin’s triumph of the most difficult course on the LPGA schedule, Shadow Creek, was a thing to behold. Coughlin won this event by five strokes and at no part of the day did it feel like anyone, even Korda, who finished second, had any chance. This is another one like Chevron, where you have to appreciate the level of golf displayed even if it wasn’t the best finish. Without a doubt, I would count this as the performance of the year so far.
No. 9 – Kroger Queen City Championship – This feels like the absolutely ideal mid-point on this list, a spot it will probably hold for the entire season. There was some drama on Sunday, Lottie Woad and Haeran Ryu were tight the entire round, and the result was still in doubt late on the back nine. All that said, there really wasn’t a signature, or particularly memorable moment from the week. Woad held the lead almost the entire back nine, and never gave it up. Just a solid tournament all around.
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