The LPGA has now accomplished about three quarters of its 2023 schedule. It has been a really fascinating 12 months. There have been:
- Winners from 10 completely different international locations
- 9 tournaments that resulted in a playoff
- 10 first time winners
- 5 tournaments determined by one stroke
- 1 non LPGA winner
Like all different seasons, this 12 months has had its share of surprises and disappointments.
BIGGEST SURPRISES SO FAR IN 2023:
1. Lilia Vu – After a sluggish begin final season, she got here on robust the second half and truly completed the 12 months No. 48 within the Rolex Rankings. When she gained in Thailand early this season it wasn’t that a lot of an enormous shock. What was a shock was what adopted. She not solely gained her first main championship on the Chevron Championship, however gained her second main championship on the AIG Ladies’s Open. Three wins, two of these Majors, places her on prime of this record because the 12 months’s greatest shock.
2. Ruoning Yin – As a rookie in 2022, she had an excellent however not spectacular season ending 84th within the Race to the CME Globe. This 12 months has been a a lot completely different story as she has gained twice together with a serious championship on the KPMG Ladies’s PGA Championship. She has additionally registered seven prime tens this 12 months.
3. Allisen Corpuz – She was additionally a rookie in 2022 and was stable sufficient to complete the 12 months forty third within the Rolex Rankings. She was anticipated to enhance this 12 months, however has improved past all expectations. She made her first LPGA championship a serious when she gained the U.S. Ladies’s Open in Pebble Seashore. She has 4 prime 5 finishes this 12 months and 5 prime tens. She is at the moment sixth within the Race to the CME Globe.
4. Alexa Pano – Many might bear in mind her from a dozen years in the past when she was featured within the documentary “The Brief Sport.” She may be remembered because the youngest participant to play within the inaugural Augusta Nationwide Novice Championship in 2019. One in all two rookies to make this record, Alexa gained her first LPGA championship on her nineteenth birthday, profitable the ISPS Handa World Invitational in a 3 manner playoff. She has adopted that up with consecutive finishes of twenty second, twelfth, and sixteenth, making her at the moment one of many hottest gamers on tour. She has moved up 338 spots within the Rolex World rankings this 12 months, greater than every other participant!
5. Grace Kim – The second rookie on this record, she additionally has gained her first LPGA title this 12 months in a 3 manner playoff. She has one different prime ten and has registered six prime 25 finishes. Though she has tailed off a bit just lately, she has accomplished sufficient to make this record.
Honorable Mentions: Chanettee Wannasaen, Linn Grant.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS SO FAR IN 2023:
1. Lexi Thompson – The face of U.S. ladies’s golf for fairly a couple of years, Lexi has fallen on exhausting instances. The numbers converse for themselves. She doesn’t have a prime fifteen end this whole season. In actual fact, she has solely made three cuts. Even with out a victory final 12 months, she completed seventh within the Race to the CME Globe. She is at the moment 138th.
2. Lydia Ko – In most years, she could be primary on this record. She completed sixth in her first event of the 12 months, however has not completed within the prime thirty in fourteen tournaments since. She completed No. 1 within the Race to the CME Globe final 12 months and is at the moment 93rd. She has had a hunch like this one different time in her profession and got here roaring again. So don’t depend her out simply but.
3. Jeongeun Lee6 – A significant champion only a few brief years in the past, Lee has not been in competition in any respect this 12 months. In nineteen begins this 12 months she has didn’t register a single prime fifteen end, whereas lacking eight cuts. She slipped a bit final 12 months when she dropped to forty fourth within the Race to the CME Globe. This 12 months she’s at the moment 91st which earned her a spot on this record.
4. Annie Park – She got here onto the LPGA marketed as the subsequent large American star. She even gained a event in 2018. She has not been in a position to comply with up that victory, however has performed aggressive golf till this 12 months. She has teed it up eighteen instances this season and has solely seen the weekend six instances. She is at the moment one hundred and twentieth within the Race to the CME Globe.
5. Yealimi Noh – I don’t normally put second 12 months gamers on this record, however I’ve to make an exception right here. In her rookie season final 12 months she had a few prime tens and a bunch of prime twenty-five finishes. She completed the 12 months as one of many prime rookies with a stable 79th within the Race to the CME Globe. All of us thought she was going to enhance on that this 12 months. We thought unsuitable. She has only one prime 20 end in fifteen begins, and has missed eight cuts. She is at the moment 146th within the Race to the CME Globe and appears as if she is likely to be heading again to Q-Faculty.
Others: Danielle Kang, Mina Haragae, Lucy Li
Characteristic Picture: Lilia Vu on the 2023 LPGA Portland Basic. Photographer Ben Harpring.
