Midway through 2025 LPGA season, 18 different players from eight countries have won titles
But so far, this season couldn't possibly look more different than the last.
Advertisement
To date, there have been a record 18 different winners in 17 events over the past six months. That includes a pair of South Koreans winning for the first time at the Dow Championship team event. Those 18 different winners hail from eight different countries, including five South Koreans, three Americans and a trio of Japanese up-and-comers.
The last time there were so many different winners through 17 tournaments was 2017, when there were 15, according to research from the LPGA. The record for most different winners in a season is 26, set in 1991, 2018 and 2022.
Jin Hee Im and Somi Lee of South Korea pose with their trophies and ceremonial check after the final round of the Dow Championship 2025 at Midland Country Club on June 29, 2025 in Midland, Michigan.
Seven first-time winners
American Yealimi Noh was the first Rolex First-Time winner of the season at the Founders Cup in February. The most recent – Somi Lee and Jin Hee Im – became the 50th and 51st South Koreans to win the LPGA with their playoff victory at the Dow.
Advertisement
Although Rio Takeda won the LPGA's Toto Japan Classic last fall, she was a non-member at the time and deferred membership until 2025. Therefore, when she won for a second time at the Blue Bay LPGA in China this spring, she was considered a Rolex First-Time winner as it was her first victory as a member.
Other first-time winners of 2025 include rookies Ingrid Lindblad and Chisato Iwai of Japan, as well as Chevron Championship winner Mao Saigo.
The 2023 season set the record for most first-time winners with 12.
Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand watches a tee shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship 2025 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco on June 22, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
The big four have just two wins
The top four players in the world account for only two victories this season, with World No. 1 Nelly Korda still winless along with Ruoning Yin (No. 4).
Advertisement
Both Jeeno Thitikul (1) and Lydia Ko have each won once.
Contrast that to 2024, when Korda won seven times and Ko won three times, plus gold at the Paris Olympics. Yin also won three times last season and Thitikul won twice. That's a total of 15 LPGA titles last year for the top four. (In addition, Australia's Hannah Green, No. 11 in the world, won three times last year.)
"Yeah, it's golf. Every year is just so different," said Korda, when asked about the string of 15 different winners heading into the KPMG Women's PGA. "Last year, coming into this event, I had five wins. I think even Hannah Green had multiple wins under her belt, too, coming into this event. It's just – it's just golf. You kind of just have to ride the wave, and the competition is getting better and better every year.
"To win once, to win twice, it's really good."
Advertisement
Rookies don't disappoint
At the start of 2025, there were five players in this year's rookie class ranked in the top 50 in the world. The battle for the Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year Award seemed destined to be a slugfest.
So far this season, three rookies have won on tour and Japanese players occupy the four spots in the rankings. Rio Takeda holds a 174-point lead over countrywoman Miyu Yamashita, who hasn't yet won but has five top-10 finishes.
"Just shows that the rookies, I mean, we're not here to mess around with, you know," said Lindblad after her win at the JM Eagle LA Championship."
"We come out here for a reason, and I think it shows that we're ready to be out here."
Advertisement
The Iwai twins – Akie and Chisato – of Japan are currently Nos. 25 and 27 in the world. Chisato won in Mexico and Akie has runner-up showings at both JM Eagle and Honda LPGA Thailand.
Minjee Lee of Australia is doused with champagne on the 18th hole green after winning the KPMG Women's PGA Championship 2025 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco on June 22, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Drought busters
For a number of players, 2025 has already brought a tremendous sense of relief.
Carlota Ciganda birdied three of her last four holes in Michigan to win on the LPGA for the first time in nine years at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
"It feels amazing, obviously, after all these years," said Ciganda. "I knew I could do it, but obviously once the years keep going and you start getting older, you start doubting yourself."
Advertisement
Minjee Lee's victory at the KPMG Women's PGA avenged a tough loss at last year's U.S. Women's Open and marked her first victory in nearly two years.
Madelene Sagstrom's win in Las Vegas was the second of her career, with her first dating back to January 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jennifer Kupcho hadn't won in three years when she collected her fourth career title at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
"Going into Chevron, I didn't know where the ball was going," said Kupcho. "So to be able to say I've won now, like only really a few weeks later, is kind of insane."
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Midway through 2025 LPGA season, 18 different players have won titles
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
42 minutes ago
- CNN
The 12-year-old taking the swimming world by storm
At just 12 years old, China's Yu Zidi is already one of the fastest swimmers in the world. Her times are so quick in fact, that she's already in contention to win medals at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore in the coming days. World Aquatics has a minimum age requirement of 14 for the world championships, but Yu's times are so fast that she qualifies regardless. The youngster, not yet a teenager, will race in the 200m and 400m meter individual medleys, as well as the 200m butterfly. The precocious pre-teen may also be selected for China's relay teams. It will mark the first time in her incredibly short career that Yu will come up against the very best in the world – many of whom will have paid attention to the staggering times she has set in her country so far. At the national championships back in May, the Chinese prodigy swam the 200m individual relay in 2:10.63. Not only did it win her a silver medal, but it was also the fastest time ever recorded by a 12-year-old, man or woman, in that discipline She then swam the 200m butterfly, arguably her best stroke, in 2:06.83. That time would have put her fourth in last year's Olympics, but it was also the fifth-fastest time in the world this year. During the 2024 world championships, the time would have been enough to win her a gold medal. While her personal bests are breathtaking, it's even more impressive when you consider her age. It's an incredible rise for a girl who, according to the Associated Press (AP), only started swimming when she was six. 'The summer was too hot, and my dad took me to the water park,' she told China's official Xinhua News Agency, per the Associated Press. 'I enjoyed the coolness of the water and spent a lot of time in different small pools for kids. One day, a coach approached me and asked if I wanted to swim faster.' It's true that swimmers, particularly women, can compete on a world level when they are still very young. You only have to look at Canadian star Summer McIntosh as an example. At the Tokyo Games in 2021, aged just 14, McIntosh made her Olympic debut, finishing fourth in the 200-meter freestyle. She bagged gold in the 200m butterfly and 400m medley at the world championships in 2022, as well as two golds at the Commonwealth Games in the 200m and 400m medleys. Now 18, the Canadian is one of the greatest swimmers in the world, recently posting the second-fastest 200m butterfly in history. American Katie Ledecky is another swimmer who started early, making her Olympic debut in London when she was just 15. Now, she's the most decorated female US Olympian of all time, with 14 medals to her name, including nine golds. Both will serve as inspiration for Yu, who will look to continue her trajectory over the coming years. The LA Olympics in 2028 are the obvious target. Yu will be 15 by then and would surely be among the medal contenders if things keep progressing as they are. There are risks, naturally, that Yu could burn out as she is introduced to tougher competition and years of training, but for now, the 12-year-old is keeping her feet on the ground. 'Since I am not competitive in the sprint events, I have to choose the 400-meter individual medley and the 200-meter butterfly as my favorites,' she said. 'My age is currently an advantage and I hope to grow and develop more strength in the future.'
CNN
43 minutes ago
- CNN
The 12-year-old taking the swimming world by storm
At just 12 years old, China's Yu Zidi is already one of the fastest swimmers in the world. Her times are so quick in fact, that she's already in contention to win medals at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore in the coming days. World Aquatics has a minimum age requirement of 14 for the world championships, but Yu's times are so fast that she qualifies regardless. The youngster, not yet a teenager, will race in the 200m and 400m meter individual medleys, as well as the 200m butterfly. The precocious pre-teen may also be selected for China's relay teams. It will mark the first time in her incredibly short career that Yu will come up against the very best in the world – many of whom will have paid attention to the staggering times she has set in her country so far. At the national championships back in May, the Chinese prodigy swam the 200m individual relay in 2:10.63. Not only did it win her a silver medal, but it was also the fastest time ever recorded by a 12-year-old, man or woman, in that discipline She then swam the 200m butterfly, arguably her best stroke, in 2:06.83. That time would have put her fourth in last year's Olympics, but it was also the fifth-fastest time in the world this year. During the 2024 world championships, the time would have been enough to win her a gold medal. While her personal bests are breathtaking, it's even more impressive when you consider her age. It's an incredible rise for a girl who, according to the Associated Press (AP), only started swimming when she was six. 'The summer was too hot, and my dad took me to the water park,' she told China's official Xinhua News Agency, per the Associated Press. 'I enjoyed the coolness of the water and spent a lot of time in different small pools for kids. One day, a coach approached me and asked if I wanted to swim faster.' It's true that swimmers, particularly women, can compete on a world level when they are still very young. You only have to look at Canadian star Summer McIntosh as an example. At the Tokyo Games in 2021, aged just 14, McIntosh made her Olympic debut, finishing fourth in the 200-meter freestyle. She bagged gold in the 200m butterfly and 400m medley at the world championships in 2022, as well as two golds at the Commonwealth Games in the 200m and 400m medleys. Now 18, the Canadian is one of the greatest swimmers in the world, recently posting the second-fastest 200m butterfly in history. American Katie Ledecky is another swimmer who started early, making her Olympic debut in London when she was just 15. Now, she's the most decorated female US Olympian of all time, with 14 medals to her name, including nine golds. Both will serve as inspiration for Yu, who will look to continue her trajectory over the coming years. The LA Olympics in 2028 are the obvious target. Yu will be 15 by then and would surely be among the medal contenders if things keep progressing as they are. There are risks, naturally, that Yu could burn out as she is introduced to tougher competition and years of training, but for now, the 12-year-old is keeping her feet on the ground. 'Since I am not competitive in the sprint events, I have to choose the 400-meter individual medley and the 200-meter butterfly as my favorites,' she said. 'My age is currently an advantage and I hope to grow and develop more strength in the future.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sorry Smith stat as LIV date locked
Cameron Smith could be playing for much-needed ranking points when LIV returns to Adelaide in 2026, with a February date locked in for the second year after a timeslot shift in 2025 proved a monster success. More than 100,000 people attended The Grange this year after the tournament was moved from April and is so far the only confirmed schedule stop for the Saudi-backed tour. It could be too long to wait for Smith to feel some good Aussie vibes, however, with his 2025 in freefall after missing the cut at The Open at Royal Portrush. The 2022 Open champion became the only player to miss the cut in all four majors in 2025 after failing to reach the weekend and has now missed five major cuts in a row. Once No.2 in the world, Smith's ranking has dropped to 206, with questions being asked about the impact of his move to LIV, for which he was paid a reported $140m. His LIV teammate and great friend, Marc Leishman, jumped more than 50 places after being the only Australian to make the cut in Northern Ireland. The appearances of the LIV stars at The Open came amid revelations officials had put in a second application for world ranking points in the hope their players could get more access to the majors. It could also help players like Smith put himself in the frame for a Presidents Cup return as well as help American and European players get back on to Ryder Cup teams. Smith conceded 2025 had been 'frustrating' without a LIV win, or a podium finish, but was adamant he had been putting in the work and his best was 'coming'. 'It's such a weird game sometimes,' he said. 'I feel like I've been playing really good and not really getting much out of my golf, which is quite the opposite to how I normally play golf, so it's been a really frustrating year. 'Everything feels good, particularly on the range, on the putting green and stuff like that. I just have struggled to take it to the course and I feel like it's coming out. 'I feel like I'm getting more confidence and committing to more shots and maybe hitting the shot that I don't necessarily feel comfortable with, but the right shot. 'So that's when I play my best and, yeah, it's coming.' Smith tasted success in Adelaide in 2024, taking the team title, which helped elevate the event. 'Adelaide has been our pinnacle event with LIV Golf for the past few years, and it's always special going home and having our Aussie crowd behind us – they've been great to us, he said. 'The event keeps getting better every year and we are so excited to know we'll be coming back for many years to come. We can't wait for this year's event in Adelaide, which I'm sure next year will be even bigger.'
