A remarkable winning streak that shows just how wide open and exciting the LPGA Tour is or a big problem not having a standout star? That’s the question at the pinnacle of women’s pro golf.
As this season has been extraordinary due to the fact that from the 24 tournaments completed on the LPGA Tour schedule there have been 24 different winners.
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The LPGA Tour heads to Hawaii for the LOTTE Championship this week with, as you’d expect, a wide-open field given we’ve had a different winner each tournament.
If there’s another new winner for 2025 it will match the LPGA Tour record with 26 different players claiming a title in one season – which has only previously happened three times, in 1995, 2018 and 2022.
And there’s still seven tournaments left to set a new record of 27 different winners, as rookies in particular have made a big impact when hitting the ground running.
There’s been 11 first-time winners on the LPGA Tour this year, including seven rookies picking up tournament victories in their debut seasons.
It’s just the second time since 1980 that seven rookies have tasted victory, so with new players making a big splash and so many able to clinch tournament wins, doesn’t that bode well for the future?
That’s great for the competition and regular LPGA supporters, but for the wider golf and sports fans, a big star is often needed to cut through.
Where’s Nelly? Is lack of superstar a problem?
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Nelly Korda made a huge splash last year with a remarkable winning run catapulting her into sporting folklore and a popularity that transcended just the world of women’s golf.
Korda became just the third woman ever to win five consecutive starts, which inlcuded her second Major, before going on to win six in seven.
She eventually ended 2024 with seven wins and built the kind of stardom that can often change an entire sport – but incredibly she’s not managed one single victory this year.
And like it or not, that’s a blow for the game as it’s stars like Korda that can really carry the women’s game to a new level – yes she needs competition but as last year showed she can also bring more eyeballs on the sport than almost anyone else.
The new challengers are important, nobody wants a boring walkover week after week, but Korda caught the imagination – she wasn’t quite at the level of Caitlin Clark but she was up there.
And Clark showed just how one superstar could elevate an entire sport, bring in more attention and more viewers that would ultimately turn into increased coverage, sponsorship and revenue.
Having all these new winners is great for true fans, but it may not garner the attention a record-setting Korda did last year – it may not be Korda that becomes the game’s standout star, but it’s clear the game really could do with one.