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USA Today
07-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Midway through 2025 LPGA season, 18 different players from eight countries have won titles
There's still time for someone to own the 2025 season. With 15 official events left on the calendar, including two majors, there's room to run. But so far, this season couldn't possibly look more different than the last. 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. 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. 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. 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). 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." 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." 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. 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." 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."
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hull cards lowest second round at PGA Championship
Charley Hull has two career wins on the LPGA Tour [Getty Images] Women's PGA Championship first-round leaderboard: -6 J Thitikul (Tha); -3 M Lee (Aus), R Takeda (Jpn); -2 L Thompson (US); -1 C Iwai (Jpn), A Kim (US), S Lee (Kor) Selected others: +2 N Korda (US), L Maguire (Ire); +3 C Hull (Eng); +4 L Ko (NZ) Advertisement Leaderboard England's Charley Hull carded the lowest second-round score at the Women's PGA Championship as Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul extended her lead at the top of the leaderboard. Hull carded a three-under-par 69, which included four birdies and a bogey, in the only round under 70 on a day when only 14 players broke par in hot and windy conditions at the Fields Ranch East course in Texas. The 29-year-old shot 78 in her opening round and is on three over for the tournament, with leader Thitikul on six under. World number two Thitikul has yet to win a major but put herself in a promising position after a two-under par round of 70, which included four birdies and two bogeys. Advertisement Thitikul said the "wind and the rough" provided the toughest challenges during the second round. She added: "I had better tee shots than yesterday and put myself in the positions that I have a chance. "If not, I just tried to make par. I think par, it's a really big key here - no birdies but 18 pars, you take it." Thitikul's nearest challengers are Japan's Rio Takeda, who shot a 71, and Australian Minjee Lee, who went round in 72, with both players on three under par. American Lexi Thompson is on two under following a 70. "[It] got pretty windy even for the morning," said Thompson. "It was blowing more than it did yesterday, so I knew I just had to commit to my lines out there. Advertisement "It's a tough golf course, especially when the wind blows. If you miss the fairways you just have to take your medicine, pitch out, and try to save par any way you can, make the worst score a bogey." World number one Nelly Korda could only manage a 74, which included two birdies and four bogeys, and the American is on two over par, while Ireland's Leona Maguire is on the same score after also carding a 74. South Korea's Amy Yang won the tournament last year but, after rounds of 76 and 77, missed the cut on nine over par.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hull cards lowest second round at PGA Championship
Charley Hull has two career wins on the LPGA Tour [Getty Images] Women's PGA Championship first-round leaderboard: -6 J Thitikul (Tha); -3 M Lee (Aus), R Takeda (Jpn); -2 L Thompson (US); -1 C Iwai (Jpn), A Kim (US), S Lee (Kor) Selected others: +2 N Korda (US), L Maguire (Ire); +3 C Hull (Eng); +4 L Ko (NZ) Advertisement Leaderboard England's Charley Hull carded the lowest second-round score at the Women's PGA Championship as Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul extended her lead at the top of the leaderboard. Hull carded a three-under-par 69, which included four birdies and a bogey, in the only round under 70 on a day when only 14 players broke par in hot and windy conditions at the Fields Ranch East course in Texas. The 29-year-old shot 78 in her opening round and is on three over for the tournament, with leader Thitikul on six under. World number two Thitikul has yet to win a major but put herself in a promising position after a two-under par round of 70, which included four birdies and two bogeys. Advertisement Thitikul said the "wind and the rough" provided the toughest challenges during the second round. She added: "I had better tee shots than yesterday and put myself in the positions that I have a chance. "If not, I just tried to make par. I think par, it's a really big key here - no birdies but 18 pars, you take it." Thitikul's nearest challengers are Japan's Rio Takeda, who shot a 71, and Australian Minjee Lee, who went round in 72, with both players on three under par. American Lexi Thompson is on two under following a 70. "[It] got pretty windy even for the morning," said Thompson. "It was blowing more than it did yesterday, so I knew I just had to commit to my lines out there. Advertisement "It's a tough golf course, especially when the wind blows. If you miss the fairways you just have to take your medicine, pitch out, and try to save par any way you can, make the worst score a bogey." World number one Nelly Korda could only manage a 74, which included two birdies and four bogeys, and the American is on two over par, while Ireland's Leona Maguire is on the same score after also carding a 74. South Korea's Amy Yang won the tournament last year but, after rounds of 76 and 77, missed the cut on nine over par.
BBC News
21-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hull cards lowest second round at PGA Championship
Women's PGA Championship first-round leaderboard:-6 J Thitikul (Tha); -3 M Lee (Aus), R Takeda (Jpn); -2 L Thompson (US); -1 C Iwai (Jpn), A Kim (US), S Lee (Kor)Selected others: +2 N Korda (US), L Maguire (Ire); +3 C Hull (Eng); +4 L Ko (NZ)Leaderboard England's Charley Hull carded the lowest second-round score at the Women's PGA Championship as Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul extended her lead at the top of the carded a three-under-par 69, which included four birdies and a bogey, in the only round under 70 on a day when only 14 players broke par in hot and windy conditions at the Fields Ranch East course in 29-year-old shot 78 in her opening round and is on three over for the tournament, with leader Thitikul on six number two Thitikul has yet to win a major but put herself in a promising position after a two-under par round of 70, which included four birdies and two said the "wind and the rough" provided the toughest challenges during the second round. She added: "I had better tee shots than yesterday and put myself in the positions that I have a chance."If not, I just tried to make par. I think par, it's a really big key here - no birdies but 18 pars, you take it."Thitikul's nearest challengers are Japan's Rio Takeda, who shot a 71, and Australian Minjee Lee, who went round in 72, with both players on three under par. American Lexi Thompson is on two under following a 70."[It] got pretty windy even for the morning," said Thompson. "It was blowing more than it did yesterday, so I knew I just had to commit to my lines out there."It's a tough golf course, especially when the wind blows. If you miss the fairways you just have to take your medicine, pitch out, and try to save par any way you can, make the worst score a bogey."World number one Nelly Korda could only manage a 74, which included two birdies and four bogeys, and the American is on two over par, while Ireland's Leona Maguire is on the same score after also carding a Korea's Amy Yang won the tournament last year but, after rounds of 76 and 77, missed the cut on nine over par.
Arab News
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Jeeno Thitikul extends lead to three at Women's PGA
FRISCO, Texas: World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul is halfway home to her first major victory, as she will take a three-shot lead into the weekend at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in Frisco, Texas. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The 22-year-old star from Thailand followed a first-round 68 with a 2-under par 70 on Friday to reach 6-under 138 at the Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco. She has a comfortable edge over Australia's Minjee Lee, who shot even-par 72, and Japan's Rio Takeda, who birdied her final hole (No. 9) and four of her last six for a 71. Lexi Thompson also posted a 70 in the second round and holds fourth place at 2 under. The course played even tougher than the day before, and only one player managed to break 70. England's Charley Hull posted a 3-under 69 to move to 3 over and ensure she'll make the cut after an opening-round 78 set her back. Thitikul entered the day with a one-shot lead and spent most of her round hovering around even par. After beginning on the back nine, she had two birdies and two bogeys through 16 holes before a birdie-birdie finish. Thitikul made a 12 1/2-foot putt at the par-3 eighth before two-putting from 59 feet at the par-5 ninth. Thitikul has five wins to her credit on the LPGA Tour and placed in the top 10 of seven majors. Now she will get to play from ahead and defend her lead in a high-pressure situation. 'I think it's depend on the wind,' Thitikul said of the weekend to come. 'If you can be committing with the wind you see and then calculating really good and putting yourself like tee-to-green really well and then making par, I think it's good enough.' Thompson had a bogey-free round nearly in the bag before stumbling at No. 18 when her approach found a bunker. Thompson, 30, stopped competing full-time after 2024, but she is making her seventh start of 2025 and is in great form, having tied for fourth last week at the Meijer LPGA Classic. 'When I'm home I'm grinding and practicing and still working on my game,' Thompson said. 'Any time I tee it up — even saying I was stepping away from a full-time schedule, any time I tee it up I want to come out here and compete and win.' A win this weekend would give Thompson her second career major title, 11 years after her first. The only American in red figures besides Thompson is Auston Kim, who shot 72 Friday and is tied for fifth at 1 under with South Korea's Somi Lee (73) and Japan's Chizato Iwai (72). Kim would be a major upset story if she were to win on Sunday. She is ranked No. 98 in the world, has never won on tour and never finished better than tied for 30th at a major. 'My mindset today was just staying in it,' Kim said of her two-birdie, two-bogey round. 'I didn't really feel like I had hit any superhuman shots. I didn't want to. I didn't have to chop it out of the rough today like I did (Thursday). I think that's just a testament to how smart I was playing.' World No. 1 Nelly Korda turned in a 2-over 74 to slide to 2 over for the tournament, tied for 16th. The projected cut line was 7 over par, meaning Rose Zhang (79 Friday) will squeak in on the number. Notable names to miss the cut included Allizen Corpuz (8 over), South Korea's A Lim Kim (8 over), defending champion Amy Yang of South Korea (9 over) and two-time major winner Lilia Vu (9 over). Former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko of South Korea withdrew due to illness. She was on track to miss the cut after an opening-round 74.
