LPGA Tour - Players to watch!

 As we gear up for the anticipated start of 2025 LPGA Tour season at Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions this Thursday in Lake Nona, Florida I thought I would share my thoughts on what 5 players I expect to have a good year this year in 2025.

As we look at an incredible 2024 which was full of standout moments and highlights:

These include Nelly Korda's history making run which included 9 wins stamping her authority as the best women's player on Planet Golf, Lydia Ko finally got into the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame at 27 years old after winning Gold at Paris Olympics and put on a worldie of performance at The Home of Golf to win AIG Women's Open, it was a life changing week for the team of Ayaka Furue & her caddy legendary Mike Scott as they captured the 4th Major at Evian-les-Bains and also Hannah Green and Ruoning Yin winning 3 times last year there were other brilliant stories such as the Summer of all Summers and the incredible breakthrough season of Lauren Coughlin, Amy Yang finally won a Major Championship after 17 years at KPMG PGA Championship at Sahalee, Yuka Saso produced the best Sunday performance of the year at the notoriously tough Lancaster Country Club to secure a 2nd US Woman's Open title, Linnea Ström from the cut line became only the 2nd player in LPGA history to shoot an incredible round of 60 to win LPGA ShopRite Classic, Mo Jutanugarn went bogey free for 71 holes at Portland Classic to win, Bailey Tardy broke through from nowhere to win Blue Bay in China & a new star was born on LPGA Tour in the form of Rio Takeda who won on home soil at Toto Japan Classic! 

There were some notable retirees in 2024 with the trail blazer Lexi Thompson the main topic retiring at 29 years of age. Ally Ewing retired at 31 after a consistent year and played Solheim Cup. The legendary 7x title winning Angela Stanford retired at 46 years old after a 23 year run on LPGA & Marina Alex also called it a day at 34 years old after a steady LPGA Tour career! 

Below is a reminder of the Title Winners of 2024:

. Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions: Lydia Ko

. LPGA Drive On Championship: Nelly Korda

. Honda LPGA Thailand: Patty Tavatanakit 

. HSBC Women's World Champs (Singapore): Hannah Green

. Blue Bay LPGA Classic: Bailey Tardy

. Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship: Nelly Korda

. Ford Championship: Nelly Korda

. T-Mobile Matchplay: Nelly Korda 

. The Chevron Championship (1st Major): Nelly Korda

. JM Eagle LA Championship: Hannah Green

. Cognizant Founders Cup: Rose Zhang 

. Mizuho Americas Open: Nelly Korda 

. US Women's Open (2nd Major): Yuka Saso

. ShopRite LPGA Classic: Linnea Ström 

. Meijer LPGA Classic: Lilia Vu

. KPMG PGA Championship (3rd Major): Amy Yang

. Dow Championship: Ronni Yin & Jeeno Thitikul 

. Amundi Evian Championship (4th Major): Ayaka Furue

. 2024 Olympic Women's: Lydia Ko

. Dana Championship: Chanettee Wannasaen 

. CPKC Women's Open: Lauren Coughlin 

. Portland Classic: Moriya Jutanugarn 

. ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open: Lauren Coughlin 

. AIG Women's Open (Final Major): Lydia Ko

. FM Championship: Haeran Ryu

. Kroger Queen City Championship: Lydia Ko

. Walmart NW Arkansas Championship: Thidapa 'Jasmine' Suwannapura 

. Buick LPGA Shanghai: Ronni Yin

. BMW Ladies Championship: Hannah Green

. Maybank Championship: Ronni Yin

. Toto Japan Classic: Rio Takeda

. LOTTE Championship: A Lim Kim

. The Annika: Nelly Korda

. CME Group Tour Championship Finals: Jeeno Thitikul

I have come up with 5 Gems for 2025 that I have written up with a few reasons why I think will go well this year! Please feel free to read and tell me what you think and who you think will go well in 2025! 

#1 Miyū Yamashita (Japan) 🇯🇵

I could have easily picked any of the top 10 in the Rolex Rankings but that would be very boring wouldn't it? Japanese Women's Golf right is truly blossoming with emerging talent such 2024 Rookie of the Year Mao Saigo, Toto Japan Classic winner Rio Takeda, The Iwai Twins (Chisato & Akie), Sakura Koiwai as well as of course having Major Champions in Ayaka Furue and Hinako Shibuno but the standout Japanese player for me and where I am starting my list is World Number 13 Miyū Yamashita. Since April 2021 Yamashita has won 13 times on JLPGA Tour (ridiculous win rate!). Impressed massively last year in the Major Championships which included finishing T2nd at KPMG PGA Championship, T12th at US Women's Open and T17th at Chevron. Miyū also finished T4th at Olympic Games & T12th at Toto Japan Classic. 

On JLPGA last year she ranked 1st for Scoring Average, Birdie Average, Scrambling, Par 3 & Par 4 Scoring and ranked 2nd for Ball Striking. 

Blitzed the field at LPGA Final Q School to gain full time LPGA Status for 2025. She has every chance of winning a title this year and I fancy her to contend in the Majors too. Proper Flusher!

#2 Alexa Pano (USA) 🇺🇸 

I promise this is no bias because she kindly came on my podcast a few days before Christmas where where we had a good chat about an unorthodox golfing background which includes being star of 2012 Netflix Series 'The Short Game, which focused on the then 7 year old Alexa competing at US Kids Championships, making her JLPGA Tour debut at 11 years old and LPGA debut at 13. She also openly admit she overdone her schedule last year playing 28 events which led to burn out. 

In her 3rd season now on LPGA Tour Alexa who already is a LPGA Tour winner (2023 ISPS Handa World Invitational) in Northern Ireland. She ran Lydia Ko close in the season opening Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona last year finishing 2nd and also was right in contention in both Portland Classic and in the final group at St Andrews for AIG Women's Open before falling on Sunday. 

Her game felt in good shape towards the back end of the season making all final 6 cuts to finish the year. If she can find that balance of a lighter schedule and find that level of consistency I think Alexa Pano could be a real danger in 2025. Reminder that she is only 20 years of age (truly crazy!)

#3 Nataliya Guseva (Russia) 🇷🇺 

The sensational 21 year old Russian star Nataliya Guseva is next on my list. She has a complete blend of Power, Precision, Flair and an absolutely beautiful Golf Swing. Won her full LPGA Tour card at 2023 Final Q School and Nat primarily known as Goose has not looked back since then. In 2023 when on the Epson Tour Goose managed to win Black Desert Resort Championship.

In her Rookie Year on LPGA Tour Goose finished a staggering 26th on Race to CME points list after 6 Top 10's that included 2 Runner Up finishes at Portland Classic where she ran into an inspired Moriya Jutanugarn then was also Runner up in October at LOTTE Championship in Hawaii where she was in contention mostly all week before being beaten by former US Women's Open Champion A Lim Kim. Last season she ranked 10th for Driving Distance, 16th for Greens in Regulation, 4th for Birdie Percentage, 13th for Par 4 Scoring & 34th for Ball Striking.

I have mentioned to a few people already that I think this absolute superstar wins in 2025! Hits it a country mile, great iron player and if that Putter hots up on any given week she becomes a LPGA Tour Winner. Talent in abundance!

#4 Auston Kim (USA) 🇺🇸 

2x Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship participant & Vanderbilt University star Auston Kim really impressive me in her Rookie Year finishing a more than respectable 63rd on Race to CME Points List which included 3rd place finish at LOTTE Championship in October where she played superbly well majority of the week finishing only behind A Lim Kim & Nataliya Guseva. Another 2 Top 10's would come at LPGA Drive On Championship (6th) & 5th alongside Aussie Grace Kim at Dow Championship pairs event. 

Explosive Driver of the ball Auston ranked inside the Top 10 for Driving Distance last year, she also ranked 24th for Birdies made. Finished the season solidly with 4 Top 25 finishes in her last 6 events of 2024 to cap off a good debut year. I'm interested to see how the talented Floridian gets on in her 2nd year as a LPGA Tour player. I predict a big future ahead for Auston!

#5 Jessica Porvasnik (USA) 🇺🇸 

Of course I had to throw in either a Epson Tour graduate or Final Q School Qualifier for the final pick and while on Epson Tour likes of Lauren Stephenson, Ingrid Lindblad, Fati Fernandez Cano, Cassie Porter and on Final Q card holders such as Manon De Roey, Pauline Roussin Bouchard, Akie Iwai, Julia Lopez Ramirez and Bendetta Moresco were all considered I landed on the 29 year old Ohio native Jessica Porvasnik who after 8 years of being a Professional will make her LPGA Tour Debut after 3 years on Epson Tour having finished 4th on Epson Tour Order of Merit list last year after a really consistent season that included 6 Top 10s.

Jessica was a standout at Ohio State University winning 2 Individual Titles, Big Ten Player of the Year & Big Ten Freshman of the Year in an illustrious run at OSU. Won a title on Women's All Pro Tour in 2020 while finishing 1st on WAPT Order of Merit in 2021 to gain Epson Tour card.

With this being her Rookie Season it could either be a stress free year for Jess in terms of no real expectations or it could be a really challenging season we will find out but I'm willing to take that chance of a player that's been grinding away for 8 years to live out a dream as a LPGA Tour player. She could potentially spring a surprise and keep her card for 2026 season.

I hope you enjoyed the read and I am so looking forward to this season! 

LPGA Tour is back, Golf is back, the excitement is back! Let's have some fun along the way! Let's go!