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Chevron Championship Power Rankings: The top 25 players in the LPGA's first major
Julio Aguilar
The Chevron Championship arrives as the LPGA Tour is in Nelly Korda's orbit. The 25-year-old has won her last four starts in a row, starting at the LPGA Drive On in January. Then Korda took seven weeks off and returned to the tour by winning the LPGA's last three events: the Fir Hills Se Ri Pak Championship , the Ford Championship and the T-Mobile LPGA Match Play . The 12-time LPGA winner is the top player in the game, and, spoiler alert, I might not have a job if I didn't put Korda at No. 1 in these Chevron power rankings.
Recent history, however, stands against Korda earning her fifth consecutive title this week. Lydia Ko's 2016 ANA Inspiration victory was the last time anyone who was No. 1 in the Rolex Women's World Rankings won a major. But Korda is clearly in her own tier at the moment, with a chance to move her 2024 campaign into the Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa echelon of great years with the calendar still in April. The American showed comfort at Carlton Woods last year during the tour's first visit to The Woodlands, Texas, with a third-place finish.
Meantime, Ko continues her march toward reaching the LPGA Hall of Fame, and a victory this week would be a fitting way to secure that honor.
Here are our top 25 players heading into the LPGA's first major of the season.
25. Andrea Lee
Rolex Rankings: 40; Chevron starts: 6; Best finish: T-56, 2023
Lee is a consistent performer early on this season, with three top-10s, including a T-5 at Palos Verdes Golf Club, her home course, at the Se Ri Pak Championship. The 2022 Portland Classic winner still needs to translate that consistency to majors, looking for the third top-10 of her career in her 22nd start. Her T-56 in 2023 was the first made cut of her career in the Chevron.
24. Mi Hyang Lee
Rolex Rankings: 66; Chevron starts: 10; Best finish: 2nd, 2019; '23 Finish : MC
The South Korean has a pair of T-3s this season at the HSBC and the Ford Championship, the first time she's posted two top-3s during one campaign in her 13-year career. In a resurgent season, the two-time LPGA winner has moved up the world rankings from 132nd at the start of 2024 to 67th.
23. Sarah Schmelzel
Rolex Rankings: 62; Chevron starts: 5; Best finish: T-25, 2021; '23 Finish : MC
Schmelzel is in impressive company in the early part of 2024. The 29-year-old is tied with Brooke Henderson, Ayaka Furue, and Korda for the most top-10s (four) on tour. She posted a career-best finish with a runner-up at the Blue Bay LPGA. This year is already the most top-10s the five-year veteran has had in a season, totaling 12 in her career.
22. Amy Yang
Michael Reaves
Rolex Rankings: 15; Chevron starts: 14; Best finish: T-4, 2012 and 2023
The 2023 CME Group Tour Championship winner is one of the most consistent major performers on the LPGA without a major title in hand. Yang has 21 top-10s, including 12 top-5s, since winning low amateur at the 2006 Women's British. The five-time LPGA winner has yet to contend in 2024, with a best finish of T-23 in at the Honda LPGA Thailand.
21. Ruoning Yin
Rolex Rankings: 4; Chevron starts: 1; Best finish: T-41, 2023
The 2023 Women's PGA Championship winner enters the first major off a challenging finish in her title defense at Palos Verdes Golf Club. While leading, Yin triple bogeyed the 18th hole Saturday and shot a final-round 73 to tie for eighth. It's the 21-year-old's only top-10 of the season in seven starts. Her strokes dropped from third place on tour in 2023 (1.87) to 48th (0.52) this season.
20. Allisen Corpuz
Rolex Rankings: 17; Chevron starts: 1; Best finish: T-4, 2023
The signs of Corpuz breaking through at Pebble Beach for her U.S. Women's Open title started at last year's Chevron, where the American was the 54-hole leader. Corpuz's Sunday 74 put her two strokes out of the playoff. Knocking Corpuz down this list are her recent struggles at the end of the LPGA's west coast swing, posting a T-40 and T-60 over her last two starts.
19. Atthaya Thitikul
Rolex Rankings: 10; Chevron starts: 3; Best finish: T-4, 2023
It's hard to evaluate the former World No. 1, considering Chevron will be her first start anywhere in the 2024 season. The Thai won the 2023 Vare Trophy, awarded to the player with the lowest scoring average on tour, without any victories. Thitikul closed her season on a high note, posting four top-5s in her final five starts to end her campaign.
18. Charley Hull
Maddie Meyer
Rolex Rankings: 7; Chevron starts: 10; Best finish: T-2, 2016; '23 Finish : MC
Hull notched a pair of major runners-up last year, pushing Corpuz down the stretch at Pebble Beach and sharing the 54-hole lead at the AIG Women's Open with Lilia Vu before losing by six. Hull continued her strong play early in the '24 season with a pair of top-10s before a back injury forced her to WD from the Ford. Hopefully, the two-week break gave the Englishwoman some needed reprieve before the Chevron.
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17. Angel Yin
Rolex Rankings: 20; Chevron starts: 9; Best finish: 2nd (playoff loss), 2023
Yin made her first start of 2024 at the LPGA Match play, sitting out the beginning of the year on the mend. She says she now carries the ball about 20 yards farther off the tee than before the injury, a discovery the 2023 Buick Shanghai LPGA winner made during two weeks of practice before the recent Match Play. She was the only player to take Korda to the 16th hole on the weekend ahead of returning to the home of her best major finish, last year’s Chevron playoff loss to Lilia Vu.
16. Megan Khang
Rolex Rankings: 13 Chevron starts: 8 Best finish: T-9, 2023
Khang earned her first career victory at the CPKC Women's Open last August and had a breakthrough season at the majors in 2023. It was the first time in her career she posted three top-10s at majors, including a T-9 at Carlton Woods and a T-3 at the Women's PGA. The 26-year-old continued her strong play with a third place at the LPGA Drive On Championship in January, one of three top-15 finishes in five starts in 2024.
15. Ayaka Furue
Rolex Rankings: 22; Chevron starts: 2; Best finish: T-44, 2022; '23 Finish : T-52
Furue may be the most consistent player on tour without a win this season. The Japanese native has finished in the top 30 in all eight events she has played, highlighted by three top-5s and a third-place finish at the Blue Bay LPGA. The 2022 Women's Scottish Open winner posted two top-10s at majors last year, but hasn't figured out the Chevron yet.
14. Minjee Lee
Chung Sung-Jun
Rolex Rankings: 5; Chevron starts: 10; Best finish: T-3, 2017; '23 Finish : T-41
Lee made only two domestic starts in 2024, including a T-15 in Las Vegas. She enters the Chevron off a down major season for her last year, where 2023 was the first time since 2019 that the 10-time winner did not post a top-10 at a major. Lee's finish at Carlton Woods (T-41) was the second-worst major result of her season.
13. Allison Lee
Rolex Rankings: 14; Chevron starts: 8; Best finish: T-8, 2022; '23 Finish : MC
The only thing stopping Lee's run since the end of the 2023 season is a dog bite. Lee's boyfriend's dog bit her left hand during the offseason, extending the 29-year-old's break to the opening Asia swing. Outside of her T-51 to begin the season in Singapore, Lee's finished in the top 10 in five of her last seven starts, including three consecutive runners-up to finish 2023. The American's new-found confidence, fueled partly by cornerman Freddie Couples, has put Lee in a position to contend week in and week out.
12. Jiyai Shin
Rolex Rankings: 18; Chevron starts: 9; Best finish: T-5, 2010; '23 Finish : N/A
The former World No. 1 made her first start in a domestic regular LPGA event since 2013 at the Se Ri Pak Fir Hills Championship and was tied for the 54-hole lead before Korda won the title. Shin has been finding success whenever she plays on the LPGA lately: The 35-year-old has finished in the top 5 in five of her last seven starts, including a T-2 at the U.S. Women's Open.
11. Hyo Joo Kim
Rolex Rankings: 9 Chevron starts: 8 Best finish: T-6, 2019 '23 Finish : 11th
Kim is one of the most consistent major performers on the LPGA in the past five seasons. Over her last 20 major starts, dating back to the end of 2018, the South Korean has only finished outside of the top 30 twice. She's amassed 10 top-10s over that span, including narrowly missing out on her 11th at last year's Chevron. However, as much time as she spends at the top of major leaderboards, Kim has only one win: the 2014 Evian Championship, the first major appearance of her career.
10. Hannah Green
Andrew Redington
Rolex Rankings: 16; Chevron starts: 6; Best finish: T-8, 2022; '23 Finish : MC
The Australian heads into the Chevron in form, even with only four starts this season. Green notched her fourth career victory at the HSBC Women's World Championship in late February, closing with three consecutive 67s to win by a stroke. The 2019 Women's PGA winner shot a 61, the lowest round of her career, just two weeks ago during the second round of the Ford Championship.
9. Patty Tavatanakit
Rolex Rankings: 24; Chevron starts: 5; Best finish: Win, 2021; '23 Finish : T-41
The long-bombing Thai made her mark by averaging over 320 yards in her California desert win in the 2021 ANA Inspiration, becoming the second major champion from her homeland alongside Ariya Jutanugarn. She showed initial mastery of Carlton Woods in 2023, sitting in fourth through 36 holes at last year's Chevron before a 77-76 weekend.
8. Rose Zhang
Yong Teck Lim
Rolex Rankings: 21; Chevron starts: 2; Best finish: T-11 2020; '23 Finish : DNP
Zhang makes her Carlton Woods debut following a rookie season with impressive major consistency. The Mizuho Americas Open winner posted top-10s in three of her four major appearances: T-9s in the U.S. Women's Open and the Evian, and a T-8 in the Women's PGA. Returning to tour play following attending classes at Stanford, Zhang ended her three-tournament run by making the quarterfinals of the LPGA Match Play.
7. Sei Young Kim
Rolex Rankings: 34; Chevron starts: 10; Best finish: T-3, 2021; '23 Finish : T-52
The 13-time LPGA winner is having a renaissance season. Kim has finished in the top 20 in all six starts this year, including a T-3 at the Honda LPGA Thailand. The 31-year-old won at least once yearly from 2015 to 2020, including her first major title at the 2020 Women's PGA. The South Korean's resurgence shows in her strokes gained, as Kim sits in third on the LPGA this season (2.08) compared to 39th last year (0.58).
6. Jin Young Ko
Rolex Rankings: 6; Chevron starts: 7; Best finish: Win, 2019; '23 Finish : T-9
Ko is one of the most dominant players of the current LPGA era. However, the South Korean has mostly been missing in action this season, making her domestic debut this week and only making two starts during the opening Asia swing. Ko's last event was a T-8 at the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore in February. The 15-time winner has finished in the top 10 at majors in nine of her last 20 starts.
5. Celine Boutier
Rolex Rankings: 3; Chevron starts: 6; Best finish: T-4, 2022; '23 Finish : T-14
The 2023 Evian Championship winner continued her excellent run to finish last season with a runner-up at the HSBC Women's Championship in early March. Boutier won four times last year, including three victories over a seven-start stretch.
4. Lilia Vu
Rolex Rankings: 2; Chevron starts: 4; Best finish: Win, 2023
Vu has proven that form matters less for her when heading into majors. The defending champion missed back-to-back cuts at last year's U.S. Women's Open and KPMG Women's PGA before T-42 and T-35 finishes ahead of the AIG Women's Open. There, Vu became the first American to win two majors in a season since Juli Inkster in 1999. The four-time winner follows a similar path to her first major title defense: a pair of WDs due to her back in Southeast Asia, then a T-37 in Southern California, and a T-21 at the Ford before two weeks off ahead of the Chevron.
3. Brooke Henderson
Douglas P. DeFelice
Rolex Rankings: 12; Chevron starts: 9; Best finish: Playoff loss, 2020; '23 Finish : T-23
The Canadian has already amassed more top-10 finishes this year than last season, earning four in her first seven starts of 2024. That run of consistency is generally a sign that the 13-time winner is close to entering the winner's circle; Henderson last had such a stretch in the summer of 2022, when she won both the Shoprite LPGA Classic and the Amundi Evian Championship.
2. Lydia Ko
Rolex Rankings: 8; Chevron starts: 11; Best finish: Win, 2016; '23 Finish : MC
Allergies got to Ko on her first trip to The Woodlands last year, where she missed the cut for the first time in 11 starts in the event. Bringing more allergy meds isn't the only change for the Kiwi in 2024, as her game is much better. She already has more wins (one) and top-5s (three) in six starts than her 2023 campaign.
1. Nelly Korda
Rolex Rankings: 1; Chevron starts: 8; Best finish: Playoff loss, 2020; '23 Finish : 3rd
Korda's game is the dreadnought of the LPGA after winning four events in five starts, and she sits in waters to let her talents flourish. With rain in the forecast, Carlton Woods portends to be another lengthy slog, requiring plenty of carry to maximize distance off the tee. With the 2021 Women's PGA champion's towering ball flight, Korda remains a heavy, heavy favorite.
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Nelly Korda is dominating the LPGA Tour and it's not even close
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PGA Tour star Scottie Scheffler , who won his second green jacket at the Masters last week, isn't the only world No. 1 golfer dominating a professional tour right now.
Nelly Korda , No. 1 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Ranking, has won in four consecutive starts on the LPGA Tour, becoming the first golfer since Lorena Ochoa in 2008 to accomplish the feat. Korda is the first American golfer since Kathy Whitworth in 1969 to capture victories in four of her first five LPGA starts in a season.
At this week's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas, the first major championship of the season in women's professional golf, Korda will attempt to become only the third golfer in LPGA Tour history to win in five consecutive starts -- Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2004-05) were the others.
Even Scheffler, who captured his first nine PGA Tour victories since February 2022 and has already won three times this season, isn't winning at Korda's current pace.
Korda, 25, said she has been inspired by Scheffler's run the past three seasons.
"I mean, gosh, I don't think anyone can ever say anything bad about Scottie," Korda said. "I love his morals, I love his attitude out there. I just love the way he goes about his business. He inspires so many around him, including myself.
"So yeah, obviously, as he even said, he wants to win every tournament he tees it up in. That's every girl that's out here competing, too. I think that you just have to go about your business. You can get lost in the articles, lost in the expectations, but I think if you just stick to your true self, I feel like you can live in your own bubble and enjoy it a lot more."
Korda has long been considered one of the best players in golf. She has won 12 times on the LPGA Tour and three times in Europe. In 2021, Korda won four tournaments, including her first major at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. Later that summer in Tokyo, she became the first American women's golfer to win a gold medal in the Olympics since Margaret Abbott in 1900.
Following that breakthrough season, Korda was diagnosed with a blood clot in her left arm and needed surgery in April 2022. She battled COVID-19 earlier that year and ended up missing about four months of the season. Last year, she was sidelined for about a month because of a lower-back injury and never regained her form. She didn't win in 2023, her first campaign in three years without a victory.
"Yeah, in 2021 I went on a run, and then in 2022 and 2023 golf really humbled me," Korda said. "I think [in] sports, there are ups and downs. Every athlete goes through the roller coaster, and that is what makes the sport so great. You mature and grow so much and learn more about yourself. You never take these weeks for granted."
What has made Korda's current streak so impressive is the many ways in which she has won this season.
"Yeah, I don't think I can put a scale to what she's accomplished," LPGA pro Rose Zhang said. "That's honestly just such an incredible feat. There is only one Nelly Korda, and I think she really shows how she's the best right now in the game. Even growing up I've always watched her play. There was obviously something special about her. So to see her do all that she's done, especially the last four events, it's been really inspiring. It's so difficult and it's so rare."
After tying for 16th in the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 21, Korda won the next week at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Bradenton, Florida. She came back from a 3-stroke deficit by carding an eagle and birdie on the final two holes to force a playoff. She defeated Lydia Ko on the second playoff hole to win in her hometown.
Korda skipped the LPGA Tour's Asian swing and took seven weeks off from competition. When she returned in late March, she battled Augusta National-like winds and chilly temperatures on the West Coast at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship. Korda made bogeys on her last two holes to fall into a playoff, in which she beat Ryann O'Toole on the first extra hole with a 12-foot birdie. Korda returned to No. 1 in the world for the sixth time in her career.
The next week at the Ford Championship presented by KCC in Gilbert, Arizona, Korda posted a 7-under 65 in the final round -- in steady rain no less -- to win her third straight tournament by 2 strokes. She became the first American women's golfer to get to three victories before April 1 since JoAnne Carner in 1980.
Two weeks ago at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards in Las Vegas, Korda struggled early in the 54-hole stroke play competition to even advance to the match-play knockout rounds. She carded a 1-over 73 in each of the first two rounds before rallying for a 3-under 69 in the final round. She beat Angel Yin and Narin An to advance to a championship match against Ireland's Leona Maguire . Korda took four of the first seven holes and won the match 4 and 3 .
"This is definitely one of the best stretches I think a player has played in my 11 years on tour," said Ko, a 20-time winner on the LPGA Tour. "For her to win the second event of the year and have eight weeks off and win the next three, I was like, 'Man, I shouldn't have played, all playing for second place.'"
Korda's ballstriking has been on another level during her winning streak. Among golfers with at least 30 rounds played, she ranks first on the LPGA in strokes gained: total (2.76) and tee to green (2.21) and second around the green (.78). She is 10th off the tee (.76) and 17th in approach (.93).
Her putting isn't statistically as good (she ranks 46th in strokes gained on the greens) but she has made plenty of clutch putts to win.
"I'm not surprised, I will tell you that," U.S. Solheim Cup team captain Stacy Lewis said. "It's very impressive. Four very different golf courses, and the three weeks in a row I think was the most impressive. The amount of energy it takes to do that, I thought you would've maybe seen a little drop in play at match play just getting a little bit more tired.
"But the ballstriking has always been so good for her. Short game gets a little better, the confidence to be in that position. I think that's what you're seeing more now. ... I knew it was just going to be a matter of time."
Some of the most accomplished PGA Tour stars have envied Korda's silky-smooth and seemingly effortless swing.
When she competed with PGA Tour players at the QBE Shootout in Naples, Florida, in December 2022, Kevin Kisner called her the "Tiger Woods of the LPGA Tour." After watching her play, Max Homa said, "I don't know how she does not win every week."
At the PNC Championship, another exhibition that teams pros with their parents or children, Jordan Spieth said he told his father, Shawn, to "swing like Nelly."
"It's like playing with Adam Scott ," Spieth said, comparing Korda to the 2013 Masters champion, who is known for his nearly flawless swing.
In a perfect world, young golfers everywhere would be trying to "swing like Nelly"-- just like they're now trying to make 3-pointers like former Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark , whose sharp-shooting the past three seasons brought record TV ratings to the NCAA women's basketball tournament.
The LPGA is hoping that Korda's success and the growing popularity of women's sports can help it expand. The final two rounds of the Chevron Championship were broadcast on NBC for the first time last year and coverage will extend from four hours to six this year. There's also 40 hours of coverage of featured groups on ESPN+. Other non-major tournaments are broadcast on tape delay or only on streaming.
"I feel like we just need a stage," Korda said. "We need to be put on TV. I feel like when it's tape delay or anything like that, that hurts our game. Women's sports just needs a stage. If we have a stage we can show up and perform and show people what we're all about."
LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan recognizes the unique opportunity her tour must take advantage of. During a news conference at the Chevron Championship on Tuesday, she noted that the LPGA didn't have a marketing department not long ago.
Now, it has four or five people helping publicize the tour's stars. She said weekly social engagement numbers have improved from about four million a week in 2022 to about 11.6 million this year. The LPGA will roll out a new website this fall.
Along with the four remaining major championships and the upcoming Olympics in Paris and another Solheim Cup in Gainesville, Virginia, later this summer, Korda will have plenty of opportunities in the spotlight.
"We always talk about exposure and investment," Marcoux Samaan said. "Those are the things we need right now. There is no doubt that the product is world class. I mean, from Nelly Korda to Lilia [Vu] to Lydia, just down the leaderboard, these are the very best women in the world. So our job is to make sure people know who they are and make sure people can see them."
Whether Korda knows it or not, part of that burden falls on her shoulders, according to Lewis.
"I think Nelly does have a responsibility, and she probably doesn't always want it, just knowing her," Lewis said. "But it's saying, yes. Continuing to play great golf though is No. 1. That's what helps our tour the most is her playing great golf. I would tell her to remember that. I would tell her to do as much extra stuff as you can for us."
At times, Korda has been a reluctant superstar. This week, she has talked often about staying in her "bubble" to avoid distractions, even if she understands her power to influence the next generation of women's golfers. If Korda keeps winning, perhaps it won't be too long before young girls are trying to "swing it like Nelly" around the world.
"It's an inspiration," Korda said. "I'm hopefully inspiring the next generation and hopefully it promotes the game. Hopefully we continue to climb up. I just hope I show people how much I enjoy being out here week in and week out competing against all the girls, practicing, and hopefully that drives more attention to us.
"Listen, I feel like for me, the way that I promote the game is just the way I am. I'm very true to myself. I'm never going to do something I'm not really comfortable with. Obviously, I love seeing all the kids and I love promoting the game. I mean, there is nothing that I enjoy more. I'm always going to stay true to myself, and hopefully that way I do promote the game."
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Nelly Korda 1 shot back through 36 holes at Chevron Championship as she chases 5th straight victory
Nelly Korda hits from the 17th tee during the second round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Nelly Korda hits from the 14th tee during the second round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Instructor Jamie Mulligan works with Nelly Korda on the driving range prior to the second round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Nelly Korda hits from the 11th tee during the second round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Atthaya Thitikul, of Thailand, hits from the fourth tee during the second round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Jin Hee Im, of South Korea, lines up her shot on the fourth green during the second round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Lottie Woad, of England, chips onto the 18th green during the second round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
So Yeon Ryu, of South Korea, embraces fellow players after playing her final round during the second round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods, in The Woodlands, Texas. Ryu has announced she will retire after the tournament. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
So Yeon Ryu, of South Korea, walks up the 18th green during the second round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Nelly Korda and he caddie walk across the 15th fairway bridge during the second round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Nelly Korda, seeking to tie an LPGA Tour record with her fifth straight win, shot a 3-under 69 on Friday in the second round of the Chevron Championship, leaving her one shot behind leaders Atthaya Thitikul and Jin Hee Im in the year’s first major.
Korda began the day two shots off the lead after opening with a 68 at Carlton Woods. She got out to a tough start Friday, making a double bogey on the first hole before making birdies on two of the next three. She finished with six birdies , one bogey and the double to post 7-under 137.
“Started out with a double. That was fun,” Korda joked. “I hit two shots out of the left fairway bunker. Just kind of didn’t catch it super clean and it didn’t actually hit the bunker lining, just the grass, and bumped back in. Then I bounced back with a birdie and made a birdie on the following par 5. Kind of all over the place on the front nine, but pretty clean scorecard on the back with two birdies.”
The top-ranked Korda is seeking her second major after winning the Women’s PGA Championship in 2021. She could join Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) as the only players to win five consecutive LPGA events.
She was asked if it felt inevitable that she’d tie the record after her recent run of success and strong play in the first two rounds.
“I’m just at the halfway point right now. The amount of golf that I’ve played, I still have that to go,” she said. “There is still a lot of golf left and anything can happen. Just going to stick to my process and vibe with ... what my coach says.”
With increased attention on this tournament because of Korda’s string of titles, what would the 25-year-old like people who might be seeing her first time this weekend to know about her?
“That I just never give up,” she said. “No matter what, no matter how much adversity is thrown your way, they know that I never give up and I give it my all.”
Thitikul, a 21-year-old from Thailand who has won twice on the LPGA Tour, missed the beginning of this season with a thumb injury. She made six birdies and one bogey Friday to shoot 67, matching Im at 136.
Im is in her first season on the LPGA Tour after playing the Korean LPGA since 2018. She had a bogey-free 67.
Lydia Ko, who won this tournament in 2016 at Mission Hills in the California desert, shot 71 and was part of a big group four shots back. Ko missed the cut last year in the Chevron’s first season in Texas.
First-round leader Lauren Coughlin shot 73 to fall three shots off the pace.
Amateur Lottie Woad, a sophomore at Florida State, shot 69 and was 4 under through 36 holes in her first LPGA event. The 20-year-old from England earned a spot by winning the Augusta National Women’s Amateur earlier this month.
“It’s definitely been a whirlwind,” Woad said. “Kind of didn’t really have a chance to let Augusta sink in really. Was just coming here straight away. I obviously took a lot of confidence from Augusta, so just trying to use that for this week.”
Woad is missing the ACC Championship with the Seminoles to compete in this tournament.
So Yeon Ryu shot 74 to miss the cut and end her competitive career. The two-time major champion announced before the event that she planned to retire after 13 LPGA seasons and six titles.
A group of friends, relatives and several other South Korean players greeted Ryu with flowers and Champagne as she came off the green.
“I’m just very numb,” she said. “I cannot believe this is real. Now I’m going to cry. (But I) tell myself I’m not going to cry because this is the day I need to be happy with.”
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Nelly Korda reaches final of LPGA match play event, on doorstep of fourth straight tour win
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Nelly Korda raced out to an early lead and beat the self-destructing Narin An, 4 and 3, on Saturday in the semifinals of the T-Mobile Match Play to put herself a match away from her fourth straight LPGA Tour victory.
The world’s top-ranked player will play Leona Maguire in the final Sunday. The Irish star beat Sei Young Kim, 3 and 2.
“I know she’s going to be fiery. That’s just how Leona is,” Korda said. “She’s a great competitor. I think it’ll be great to share the stage with her, and hopefully it’ll be a good show.”
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Korda is trying to become the first LPGA Tour player to win four consecutive starts since Lorena Ochoa in 2008. The record is five, set by Nancy Lopez in 1978 and matched by Annika Sorenstam in 2004-05.
Korda took seven weeks off, including the Asian part of the schedule, after winning in January in her hometown of Bradenton, Fla. That means a victory this weekend would be her third consecutive in a scheduled event. Four players share the record of four straight, with Mickey Wright doing it twice.
Should Korda win, she will have the chance to equal that record in two weeks at The Chevron Championship, the year’s first major.
“Nelly is the best in the world right now,” said Maguire, 3-1 against Korda in team matches for Europe in the Solheim Cup, though they haven’t met in singles. “She’s on a really hot streak. It’s been incredibly impressive what she’s been doing in the past few weeks.
“It’s going to be a really tough battle tomorrow. I’ve got a big challenge ahead of me. I’m excited. I mean, that’s why you practice. You want to play the best players in the world and that’s what Nelly is.”
Nelly coming through! ⚠️ A chip-in on 7 gets her to 5Up at @LPGAMatchPlay pic.twitter.com/WIfM62R4yO — LPGA (@LPGA) April 6, 2024
Korda was never tested in the semifinals, going 5 up through seven holes, needing only two birdies to take that lead. An bogeyed the first three holes before steadying herself and even winning a hole with a birdie on the par-4 10th hole.
That, however, was a temporary reprieve. An was never able to overcome the early deficit to seriously threaten Korda, who played the backside 3-over par.
“The back nine is a little tougher, so started to make a little bit more mistakes,” Korda said. “Fatigue started setting in it just a little.”
There was a tad more drama in the other semifinal. Maguire was 2 up through seven holes when Kim, the 2020 LPGA Tour Player of the Year, had an excellent chance to cut into the lead. But Maguire got up and down on the par-3 eighth, sinking a 12-foot par putt save to keep the advantage.
She picked up another shot when Kim bogeyed the par-4 10th, and the outcome was never truly in doubt after that.
“I think when you’re doing these 36-hole days, it’s who makes the least mistakes almost, especially on a golf course like today,” Maguire said. “Really happy how I played.”
Close enough to advance to the final! @leona_maguire will face Nelly Korda on Sunday afternoon for the @LPGAMatchPlay title 👊 pic.twitter.com/knD2j5GXhK — LPGA (@LPGA) April 7, 2024
Weather had been a major story during this tournament, and the temperature was 42 degrees with the players teed off Saturday morning in the quarterfinals. But the strong winds that plagued the previous two days was reduced to a breeze, and temps were in the 60s for the afternoon play.
Korda advanced to the semifinals by defeating Angel Yin, 3 and 2, and Maguire beat Moriya Jutanugarn, 4 and 3. Also, Kim routed Rose Zhang, 6 and 5, and An beat Minami Katsu, 1 up.
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Nelly Korda one off the lead in Chevron Championship with eye on equalling LPGA Tour record
- Joint leaders Atthaya Thitikul and Jin Hee Im are on eight under
- World No 1 out to equal LPGA Tour record for five straight wins
Nelly Korda remains on track for a record-tying fifth straight victory as she contends at the year’s opening LPGA major. The women’s world No 1 shot a three-under 69 second round to be one shot off the pace at the Chevron Championship in Texas on Friday local time.
Joint leaders Atthaya Thitikul (67) and Jin Hee Im (67) lead Korda by one stroke while eight under at the halfway point, as several former winners failed to make the cut.
Korda began the day two shots off the lead after opening with a 68 at Carlton Woods and made a double bogey at the opening hole but rallied with six birdies. She is seeking her second major after winning the Women’s PGA Championship in 2021.
The 25-year-old could join Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) as the only players to win five consecutive LPGA Tour events. She was asked if it felt inevitable that she would tie the record after her recent run of success and strong play in the first two rounds.
“I’m just at the halfway point right now. The amount of golf that I’ve played, I still have that to go,” Korda said. “There is still a lot of golf left and anything can happen. Just going to stick to my process and vibe with ... what my coach says.”
Thitikul, a 21-year-old from Thailand who has won twice on the LPGA Tour, missed the beginning of this season with a thumb injury. She made six birdies and one bogey on Friday.
Im is in her first season on the LPGA Tour after playing the Korean LPGA since 2018. She went bogey-free on Friday.
Former world No 1 Lydia Ko, who won this tournament in 2016 at Mission Hills in the California desert, shot 71 and was part of a big group four shots back. She missed the cut last year in the Chevron’s first season in Texas.
Past champions to finish among the 73 players that missed the cut this year were Patty Tavatanakit (2021), Jin Young Ko (2019), Pernilla Lindberg (2018), So Yeon Ryu (2017), Lexi Thompson (2014), Stacy Lewis (2011) and Yani Tseng (2010).
Steph Kyriacou was the leading Australian, five shots from the lead after a 69, while Gabriela Ruffels slipped to two under after a 73, with Sarah Kemp (73) a shot further back, as Robyn Choi (73) and Karis Davidson (74) scraped through the cut at two over.
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But Australia’s biggest names Minjee Lee and Hannah Green made early exits. World No 5 Lee endured a dismal week, posting a 77 to miss the cut at seven over, along with fellow major winner Green (72, five over) and youngster Grace Kim (72, four over).
Kyriacou, 23, has two top 10 finishes in majors and believes she can step up this weekend. “In the past I’ve kind of got scared of being in the spotlight,” Kyriacou told LPGA Media. “This weekend I’m going to embrace it a bit more and try to do what I did the last couple of days.”
The English amateur Lottie Woad, who qualified as the winner of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur this month, is four shots off the pace in her first LGPA event after a second-round 69. Woad is part of a seven-way tie for 10th which also includes compatriot Jodi Ewart Shadoff.
Woad, a sophomore at Florida State, is missing the ACC Championship to compete in this tournament. “It’s definitely been a whirlwind,” Woad said. “Kind of didn’t really have a chance to let Augusta sink in really. Was just coming here straight away. I obviously took a lot of confidence from Augusta, so just trying to use that for this week.”
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Meet some of the longest-standing and successful player/caddie duos on the lpga, share this article.
There’s turnover every season when it comes to player-caddie partnerships on the LPGA, particularly at the start of the year. World No. 1 Lydia Ko has changed caddies regularly throughout her career, including this season , despite having an enormously strong 2022.
Minjee Lee, who won a couple majors in the past two years, will begin 2023 with a new looper after enjoying much success with veteran Jason Gilroyed.
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Plenty more players have made changes, but there are a number who have stood the test of time. While not by any means exhaustive, here’s a list of players and caddies who have found a good rhythm and seem to be in it for the long haul:
Inbee Park/Brad Beecher
Inbee Park of South Korea waits with her caddie Brad Beecher during the final round of the HSBC Women’s Champions on the Tanjong Course at Sentosa Golf Club on March 5, 2017 in Singapore. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Certainly one of the most successful player/caddie partnerships in LPGA history, Brad Beecher has been on Inbee Park’s bag almost since the beginning. He was by her side when she won her first major at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open and for the six that followed. Park’s husband has, on occasion, filled in for Beecher, but they’ve been one of the greatest teams on tour for 15 years.
With Park now out on maternity leave, Beecher began the year on Danielle Kang’s bag.
Stacy Lewis/Travis Wilson
Stacy Lewis (R) of the US, leaps into “Poppie’s Pond” with caddy Travis Wilson after winning the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship, at the Mission Hills Country Club in Palm Springs, California on April 3, 2011. Lewis finished at 13 under par and second place went to Yani Tseng of Taiwan. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON
Tammie Green, the 1987 LPGA Rookie of the Year, phoned her 19-year-old nephew in the summer of ’93 and asked if he wanted to fill in as her caddie for one week. Wilson, a college golfer, obliged and the next thing he knew they’d finished fourth in a major and won the Rochester International.
Fast forward three decades later, and Wilson has enjoyed a long and successful career with 13-time winner and former No. 1 Stacy Lewis. He first worked for the Arkansas standout in the fall of 2008 before she went to LPGA Q-School and picked up her bag full-time after she earned her card.
Brooke Henderson/Brittany Henderson
Brooke Henderson of Canada and her sister & caddie Brittany (L), walk up the 18th fairway to applause from the crowd during the final round of the CP Womens Open at the Wascana Country Club on August 26, 2018 in Regina, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
Brittany Henderson, older sister of Brooke, played collegiate golf at Coastal Carolina and had a brief stint on what’s now the Epson Tour before turning her focus toward Brooke’s career. Brittany has been on the bag for her sister for all but one of her 13 LPGA victories. And that one was a big one.
Because Brittany was in the field for the 2015 Cambia Portland Classic, Brooke signed up for Monday qualifying. If Brooke didn’t get in, she planned to caddie for her sister. Brooke not only qualified, she pounded the field in Portland by eight strokes, becoming only the second player in tour history to win an event after Monday qualifying.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Jin Young Ko/David Brooker
Jin Young Ko of Korea poses for a photo with her caddie David Brooker and the Rolex Player of the Year trophy after winning the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 21, 2021 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
One of the most decorated veteran caddies on tour, David Brooker first started working for Jin Young Ko at the start of the 2019 season. They won four times together that season, including two majors. Prior to Ko, Brooker was by Lorena Ochoa’s side for the majority of her LPGA Hall of Fame career.
Ko begins her 2023 season next week in Thailand.
Nelly Korda/Jason McDede
Nelly Korda and her caddie Jason McDede pose with the trophy at the 2021 Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Former No. 1 Nelly Korda and Jason McDede have been working together since the start of the 2018 season. Jason is married to LPGA player Caroline Masson, who is currently on maternity leave. The couple are expecting their first child in May.
The couple made headlines in 2019 when Korda and Masson faced each other in a playoff in Tawain.
“It was a little funny,” Masson said. “I’m quite happy to see them win. I’m proud of them and proud of the two of them, the way they work together, and, hopefully, I get another chance to beat them down the stretch the next few years.”
Amy Olson/Taneka Mackey
Amy Olson (R) chats with her caddie during the third round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer on the Bay Course at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club on October 03, 2020 in Galloway, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Cohen/Getty Images)
Amy Olson first hired Taneka Mackey (nee Sandiford) as a local caddie on Paradise Island more than six years ago at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. Mackey was coaching at Redlands Community College in El Reno, Oklahoma. Olson asked if she’d like to come out on the road for a few events, and in 2018 it was pretty much a full-time gig for Mackey, except for the handful of events Olson’s brother worked.
Mackey has credited Olson’s strong faith with helping her face a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis several years ago.
Ashleigh Buhai/Tanya Paterson
Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa celebrates after playing her putt shot on the 11th hole with her caddie during Day Two of the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield on August 05, 2022 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
Ashleigh Buhai and Tanya Paterson have worked together for three years, with their biggest year coming in 2022. Buhai broke through with her first LPGA title, a major, at the AIG Women’s British Open at Muirfield. Buhai’s husband, David, worked for her right up until they got married.
Why the sudden change?
“Some people say it might be good to stay married,” said Ashleigh (formerly Simon), smiling.
Paterson’s husband, Mike, is a longtime caddie on the LPGA, working long stints for major champions Karrie Webb and So Yeon Ryu. He currently works for Emily Kristine Pedersen.
Sei Young Kim/Paul Fusco
Sei-Young Kim of Korea and her caddie, Paul Fusco, pose with the Rolex Player of the Year trophy after the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on December 20, 2020 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
After caddying for four of Vijay Singh’s PGA Tour victories as well several others, Paul Fusco moved over to the LPGA. In 2014, Fusco helped Sei Young Kim earn her LPGA card at qualifying school and has been with the South Korean player for the entirety of her career on tour.
A 12-time winner on the LPGA, Kim won the KPMG Women’s PGA in 2020 with Fusco.
Nasa Hataoka/Gregory Johnston
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 23: Nasa Hataoka of Japan reacts with her caddie on the fourth green during the third round of the DIO Implant LA Open at Wilshire Country Club on April 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Nasa Hataoka began working with veteran caddie Greg Johnston back in 2019. The pair started their fifth season together last month at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, where the Japanese star finished fifth. Hataoka, 24, is a six-time winner on the LPGA, with her most recent victory coming at the 2022 DIO Implant LA Open.
Johnston, who enjoyed a long and successful stint with LPGA Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, caddied for Michelle Wie West early on in her professional career.
Ally Ewing/Dan Chapman
Ally McDonald poses with her parents and caddie as she holds the winner’s trophy after winning the 2020 LPGA Drive On Championship at Reynolds Lake Oconee on October 25, 2020 in Greensboro, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
Veteran caddie Dan Chapman first began working with former Mississippi State standout Ally Ewing in the spring of 2017 at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup. Together they’ve won three times on the LPGA since 2020.
Aditi Ashok/Ashok Gudlamani
Aramco Saudi Ladies International Presented By Public Investment Fund, Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 16-19 February. Aditi Ashok of India during the first round. Credit: Tristan Jones/ LET
Aditi Ashok is off to a hot start in 2023 with her father, Ashok Gudlamani, on the bag. After winning the Ladies European Tour’s season opener in Kenya, she finished third in Morocco and now leads at the midway point at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International.
A four time winner on the LET, Ashok had her father on the bag in the 2016 Olympic Games and her mother, Maheshwari Ashok, on the bag at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Austin Ernst/Drew Ernst
Austin Ernst of the United States stands on the sixth hole tee during the first round of The Chevron Championship at The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa on March 31, 2022 in Rancho Mirage, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Drew Ernst played collegiate golf at Coastal Carolina before focusing on helping sister Austin’s career. Austin, now a three-time winner on the LPGA, last won in the spring of 2021.
With Austin sidelined with a neck injury, Drew worked for former Stanford star Andrea Lee, who won last year in Portland, eight years after Austin won at the same venue.
Chella Choi/Ji Yeon Choi
Chella Choi and her father caddie Ji Yeon Choi of South Korea line up a putt on the 10th green during the first round of the LPGA LOTTE Championship at the Ko Olina Golf Club on April 11, 2018 in Kapolei, Hawaii. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Ji Yeon Choi always said that he’d stop caddying for his daughter after she won on the LPGA. It took Chella 157 starts to get it done in a playoff against Ha Na Jang. But Choi’s father, a former police officer, kept carrying the clubs.
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What Clubs do LPGA players use? Top 50 Player Breakdown (2021)
Written by Graeme Hay | Last Updated: 12/03/2024
This post contains affiliate links from which Golfing Focus earns a commission (at no cost to you).
When you look at the swing speeds of the average golfer compared to the pros it is surprising that regular players do not pay much closer attention to the clubs LPGA players use.
The average LPGA player has a driver swing speed of 94mph and this is only 0.6mph faster than the average male golfer who swings his driver at 93.4mph.
When you then consider the top male pros have driver swing speeds of over 110mph on average it seems a mistake for regular golfers not to focus on what they can learn from the golf clubs that the best women pros chose when playing on the LPGA Tour.
So we decided to do a comprehensive analysis of the kind of clubs the top 50 players on the LPGA Tour use to address this.
PING clubs are most used by the top 50 LPGA Tour players with Titleist and PXG clubs the next most popular brands. Across all the golf club types played by the top 50 only TaylorMade drivers, PXG hybrid clubs and Callaway’s Odyssey putters break PING’s and Titleist’s dominance as the most used clubs.
The best players on the LPGA Tour however clearly do not all have the same 14 clubs set up in their golf bag and while PING and Titleist clubs are the most popular we wanted to take a detailed look at all the clubs used by the top 50 LPGA Tour players to find out exactly what clubs the majority of them prefer for every possible club choice.
Most Popular Clubs on the LPGA Tour – Top 50 Player Analysis
When it comes to looking at the most popular set of golf clubs used by the top 50 players on the LPGA Tour there are clearly a lot of options for them to choose from.
The best players on the LPGA Tour have access to pretty much any club they want as the main club manufacturers’ tour trucks follow them across the US to every tournament with the latest models of clubs and shafts packed away in the back ready and available for them to use as and when required.
There are therefore plenty of makes and models of clubs being used by the top 50 LPGA Tour players – 29 different models of drivers and 38 models of irons for example – but our detailed analysis of this elite group found the following individual clubs to be the most popular in their category:
2 things stand out from this list however which we need to look at in more detail in order to complete the picture of what clubs LPGA players use.
Firstly the top 50 players on the LPGA Tour clearly do not have 18 clubs in their golf bag given the maximum allowed is 14.
To complete the list above however we looked in detail at every club type being carried by one or more of the pros but different players obviously choose to vary their club set ups according to their own personal preferences.
While some opt to play with more than one fairway wood, others prefer more hybrids to replace their long irons. Others meanwhile opt for utility/driving irons.
Similarly some players choose to carry more specialist wedges than others so the selection of individual clubs clearly varies across the top 50 LPGA Tour players.
But this is what our analysis found in terms of the most common club choices.
The most common golf club set up used by the top 50 LPGA players is made up first of a driver, 3-wood and a 3 and 4-hybrid. The most popular iron set then starts with a 5-iron to pitching wedge. 3 specialist wedges, a 50° gap wedge, 54° sand wedge and 58° lob wedge are then added to a putter to complete the set.
While this set up was found to be the most popular it was also clear that other set ups, particularly when it came to the longest clubs in the bag, found favour with a number of the top women pros.
Some for example preferred a 3-wood and 5-wood combined with a 4 hybrid approach while others preferred to use only one wood and a 3-hybrid prior to starting their iron set with a 4-iron rather than a 5-iron.
Ariya Jutanugarn meanwhile opts to leave a driver out of her bag completely and chooses a 3-wood and 3 different utility/driving irons instead.
So as we can see while there is a preferred club set up among the top 50 LPGA Tour players there are other club choices that are preferred by a number of golfers indicating how many options there are for players these days to experiment with the clubs they have in their bag.
The second point which stands out from our list above is that there are clear trend preferences that make the ‘most popular’ club in a particular category less compelling a statement of preference to others.
For example we found only 7 out of the top 50 LPGA Tour players use utility/driving irons so while Callaways Apex UT was the most popular it is only within a small data set of players who choose to use them.
Similarly while Graphite Design was the most popular hybrid shaft brand choice among the top 50 we discovered at least one player using a shaft made by all the other brands too – PING, Fujikura, Aldila, Aerotech, KBS and Mitsubishi.
When it came to putters there are 44 different models being used among the top 50 so the ‘most popular’ model we found was only the most used by a factor of 1 player from almost all the rest of the other putters being played with.
Many players also choose to alter the lofts of their clubs – Jennifer Kucho for example has a 4 hybrid in her bag but strengthens the loft to be comparable with other pros’ 3 hybrid clubs – so it is clear we should not always draw immediate conclusions from the basic numbers on a pros club as they may not be exactly what they seem at first glance.
What all this tells us simply is all the top LPGA Tou players are constantly looking for an extra edge in their club set up and are always exploring the full range of makes and models the golf manufacturers are producing to find the precise best one for their own swing and specific requirements.
[Note – If you are interested in comparing the clubs the LPGA Tour players use with the ones chosen by their male colleagues check out our analysis of the clubs used by the top 100 PGA Tour players here .]
What Brand of Golf Clubs Do LPGA Players Use?
There are a lot of golf club brands on the market today.
Golf club technology has advanced more in the last couple of decades than it potentially has in the whole of the previous 100 years and with this an ever increasing number of golf brands have entered the golf market.
This includes a number of specialist brands that limit their focus to only or two golf club types. Bettinardi and Piretti for example focus solely on producing wedges and putters.
The big traditional golf brands however have continued their dominance when it comes to the preferred choices of LPGA Tour players and while some famous older brands have disappeared from the pro club scene the household names we all know continue to dominate.
As a whole PING is the dominant club brand among the golf clubs used by the top 50 players on the LPGA Tour. PING clubs are either first or second across all the main club type categories. Titleist is the next most popular brand with PXG golf club being the next most used among the top 50.
However while PING and Titleist’s profile at the top of the club choices of the best players on the LPGA Tour is not so surprising the popularity of PXG clubs on the LPGA Tour is perhaps a bit more unusual.
Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) was only founded in September of 2014 by businessman, philanthropist and golf enthusiast Bob Parsons and it is interesting to note their increasing presence among the clubs of LPGA Tour players.
This popularity is not matched on the men’s side of the game at the moment but it is fascinating to note a new name on the golf club manufacturer scene find success so quickly among the elite players in the women’s game.
The increase of specialist golf brands was also reflected in our analysis of the golf clubs chosen by the top 50 LPGA Tour players and it is notable that certain brands find more favour in some categories than in others.
Mizuno for example is clearly not a preferred choice when it comes to the long club choices of the best LPGA Tour players but the reputation of the quality of their irons is evident with many more pros choosing to use them than any other of the club types they make.
Similarly TaylorMade drivers are much more popular than any of their other clubs and are the 2nd most used among the top 50.
So while PING and Titleist clubs dominate there are specific club types where many of the other manufacturers have particular specialisms and this is also reflected in the club choices of LPGA Tour players.
The table below gives a complete list of the most popular brands among the top 50 LPGA Tour players across all golf club types:
[Note – For our analysis of the golf clubs used by the top 50 LPGA Tour players no data was available for the following 3 players – Pajaree Anannarukarn, Yealimi Noh, Xiyu Lin]
Other great posts related to this topic:
- Most Popular Driver on LPGA Tour? Top 50 Player Guide
- What Irons Do LPGA Players Use? Top 50 Pros Analysis
- What Golf Balls Do LPGA Players Use? Top 50 Player Breakdown
- Why Don’t Pros Use Coloured Golf Balls? It’s Not Black and White
- Do Golf Pros Wear Metal Spikes? But They are Banned!
- What Clubs Do Pro Golfers Use? Top 100 PGA Tour Player Guide
- What Drives the Senior Tour Pros? Most Popular Driver on Champions Tour
- From Tee to Green: Analyzing What Golf Balls Champions Tour Pros Use
- Do Pros Use Regular or Stiff Shafts? They’re Stronger Than That!
- Do Pros Use Graphite or Steel Shafts? It Depends Which Club
- Are There Any PGA Tour Pros Without a Hole in One?
- What Do Pros Have in Their Yardage Books? Things Have Changed
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- How Do Pros Hit the Ball So Far? It’s Not About the Equipment!
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LPGA Tour player average distances: Driver, irons, wedges through the bag
The average LPGA Tour player doesn't hit their driver 300-plus yards. In fact, very few players on the LPGA hit any 300-yard drives. On average, an LPGA Tour player hits their ball longer than most recreational golfers, but their average distances are somewhat closer to how the average younger amateur experiences the game.
How far LPGA Tour players hit the golf ball with each club in their bag isn't an exact science, however. Every player is different, with a different swing, a different angle of attack, different swing speeds and more. Every situation -- off the tee, from the fairway or rough -- is different. So, we wanted to give you an idea of how far is far and how short is short among LPGA Tour players.
We'll take you through the bag to show you LPGA Tour players' average distances with their driver, irons and wedges.
Remember, these are general numbers that don't account for special late-in-tournament situations where a player may be particularly jacked with adrenaline and hit it farther than normal. It's also worth noting that there does appear to be a bigger spread in possible distances off the tee for LPGA Tour players compared to PGA Tour players.
Of course, elevation can affect how far the ball travels as well, though most LPGA events are not played at significant elevation.
LPGA Tour player average distances: Driver, irons, wedges
- Driver: 230-290 yards
- 3-wood: 190-260 yards
- 3-iron: 185-215 yards
- 4-iron: 170-200 yards
- 5-iron: 160-190 yards
- 6-iron: 150-175 yards
- 7-iron: 140-160 yards
- 8-iron: 135-155 yards
- 9-iron: 120-140 yards
- PW: 100-120 yards
- SW: 70-95 yards
About the author
Ryan Ballengee
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Who Is The Shortest Player On The LPGA Tour?
The beauty of golf is that height does not determine success. We take a look at the shortest players on the LPGA Tour
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If you believe that tall golfers have an advantage over shorter players, then think again.
While it holds true that 6ft tall golfers such as Lexi Thompson and Anna Nordqvist can capitalise on their inherent advantage of longer limbs to create a larger swing arc for greater distance off the tee, shorter golfers have their own set of advantages.
Golfers with a shorter stature benefit from a lower centre of gravity and this enhances better balance and stability, which is particularly advantageous in windy conditions.
The average height of players on the LPGA Tour is 5' 6"/1.67m, but you only need to take a look at the world's top 3 female players on the Rolex World Rankings to see that when it comes to golf, for the most part, height is irrelevant.
Topping the ranking list is America’s Lilia Vu , a four-time 2023 title winner, including two Majors, who stands at 5’ 4”/1.63m. Ruoning Yin from China cuts an extremely petite figure at only 5' 2"/1.57m, and she's followed by Frenchwoman Celine Boutier who matches Vu in height.
Akaya Furue from Japan is the shortest player on the LPGA Tour
Only a few players were undefeated at the 2023 Solheim Cup in Finca Cortestin in Spain, and one of those was Megan Khang . The American, who is the first LPGA Tour player of Hmong and Laotian descent, is just 5’ 1”/1.55m.
Yet these are not the shortest players to compete on the LPGA Tour. Amelia Rorer, who debuted in 1975 holds the record for the shortest ever at 4’ 11.5’ tall. Alison Nicholas , winner of the 1997 Women’s USA Open and two-time Solheim Cup Captain is just 5’ 0”/153m, which matches the same height as the shortest player currently competing on the LPGA Tour, four-time winner Akaya Furue from Japan.
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Shortest Players On The LPGA Tour
- Akaya Furue - 5’ 0”/153m
- Meghan Kang - 5’ 1”/1.55m
- Moriya Jutanugarn - 5’ 1”/1.55m
- Ruoning Yin - 5' 2"/1.57m
- Cristie Kerr - 5' 3"/1.60m
- In-Kyung Kim - 5' 3"/1.60m
- Atthaya Thitikul - 5' 3.5"/162m
- Lilia Vu - 5’ 4”/1.63m
- Celine Boutier - 5’ 4”/1.63m
- Jenny Shin - 5’ 4”/1.63m
- Sei Young Kim - 5’ 4”/1.63m
- Lizette Salas - 5’ 4”/1.63
Alison Root has over 25 years experience working in media and events, predominantly dedicated to golf, in particular the women’s game. Until 2020, for over a decade Alison edited Women & Golf magazine and website, and is now the full-time Women's Editor for Golf Monthly. Alison is a respected and leading voice in the women's game, overseeing content that communicates to active golfers from grassroots through to the professional scene, and developing collaborative relationships to widen Golf Monthly's female audience across all platforms to elevate women's golf to a new level. She is a 16-handicap golfer (should be better) and despite having had the fantastic opportunity to play some of the best golf courses around the world, Kingsbarns in Scotland is her favourite.
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Tune in to watch as the LPGA Tour tees it up for their first major championship of the 2024 season. The Club at Carlton Woods plays host to The Chevron Championship. The 132-player field, highlighted by 10 of the top 10 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings, will compete for a $7.9 million purse.
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Last call for the ultimate Pinehurst trip
This is how far PGA and LPGA Tour players hit it with every club
How far do PGA Tour players hit the golf ball? It’s a common question — one of the most common GOLF Magazine readers ask me — and the answer, of course, is that it depends. Every player is different. They all swing the club at different speeds, with different attack angles and spin rates that result in all kinds of different Trackman stats.
But thanks to the bright minds over at Trackman, now we can at least try to answer that question somewhat definitively.
Below is a list of PGA Tour averages for every club in the bag. As you can see, the club speed for the average PGA Tour pro is 113 mph with driver. Cameron Champ currently leads the club-head speed charts this season with a 129.72 average.
You’ll also notice that the average PGA Tour player hits down on their driver (attack angle -1.3 degrees), resulting in a launch angle of about 10.9 degrees.
You might look at those Trackman stats and quickly deduce that you, too, should begin hitting down more on your driver.
But not so fast!
Remember, these are PGA Tour players. The reason their Trackman stats look like this are because they are swinging the club so fast, and the ball is coming off the face even faster — see their average ball speed of 167 mph.
Apply these numbers to an average golfer’s swing speed, and they’d struggle to get the ball in the air long enough for maximum distance. So unless you have a comparable swing speed, chasing these PGA Tour-style figures might not be the best thing for your game.
That’s why some instructors look toward LPGA Tour players’ Trackman stats as a better reference point…
The LPGA Tour’s 94-mph average driver swing speed is closer to the speed many golfers swing the club. And notice how the the attack angle has turned positive along the way — it’s now 3 degrees up. It also brings the launch angle up to 13.2 degrees.
So, the takeaway? That your optimal launch Trackman Stats are dependent in part on the way you swing the club — how fast, and in which direction. So don’t go blindly chasing PGA Tour numbers just yet.
LEGENDS PLAYERS
Legends of the LPGA is the official senior tour of the LPGA showcasing golfers age 45 and over.
Pacific Palisades, CA
Janet Anderson
Sun city, az.
St. Paul, MN
Luciana Bemvenuti
Johns creek, ga.
Caroline Blaylock
Cedartown, ga.
Jerilyn Britz
Luverne, mn.
Audra Burks
Springfield, il.
Silvia Cavalleri
Windermere, fl.
Jane Crafter
Adelaide, australia.
Tonya Danckaert
Atlanta, ga.
Karen Davies
Alicia Dibos
Greenwich, ct, dana dormann, pleasanton, ca.
Dana Ebster
Modesto, ca.
Allison Finney
Janice Gibson
Tammie Green
Daytona beach, fl.
Tracy Hanson
Holland, mi.
Carin Hjalmarsson Koch
Torslanda, sweden.
Becky Iverson
Madison, wi.
Cathy Johnston-Forbes
Kitty hawk, nc.
Laurel Kean
Cary Kohatsu
Glendale, az.
Jordan Lintz
Stephanie louden.
Catriona Matthew
Jill McGill
San diego, ca.
Becky Morgan
Monmouth, wales.
Liselotte Neumann
Rancho mirage, ca.
Anne Marie Palli
Phoenix, az.
Julie Piers
Beaconsfield, quebec.
Cindy Rarick
Patti Rizzo
Hollywood, fl.
Laura Shanahan Rowe
Hampton, nh.
Charlotta Sorenstam
Sherri Steinhauer
Spokane, WA
Suzy Whaley
Palm beach gardens, fl.
Kathryn Young-Robyn
Imperial beach, ca.
Helen Alfredsson
Orlando, fl.
Donna Andrews
Southern pines, nc.
Tina Barrett
Scottsdale, az.
Karen Bennett
Canonsburg, pa.
Heather Bowie-Young
Clemson, sc.
Kelley Brooke
New york, ny.
Brandie Burton
Laverne, ca.
Clarissa Childs
Columbia, sc.
Stefania Croce
Beth Daniel
Delray beach, fl.
Lisa DePaulo
Lakeway, tx.
Judy Dickinson
Tequesta, fl.
Heather Drew
Bradenton, FL
Jamie Fischer
Lake forest, il.
Jupiter, FL
Suzy green-roebuck.
Nancy Harvey
Danville, CA
Nicole Jeray
Rosie Jones
Hilton head, sc.
Pamela Kerrigan Johnson
Jeannette Kohlhaas
Stratford, CT
Marilyn Lovander
Punta gorda, fl.
Maria McBride
Smriti Mehra
Barbara Moxness
Rio verde, az.
JodyRae Niemann
Grantsville, ut.
Sandra Palmer
Joan Pitcock
Michele Redman
Plymouth, mn.
Sara Sanders
Patty Sheehan
Santa barbara, ca.
Hollis Stacy
Holmes beach, fl.
Jan Stephenson
Sydney, australia.
Kris Tschetter
Warrenton, va.
Karrie Webb
Boynton beach, fl.
Maggie Will
Richmond, va.
Danielle Ammaccapane
Tiffany Anselment
Charlotte, nc.
Jean Bartholomew
Missie Berteotti
Pittsburg, pa, rebecca bradley.
Ashli Bunch
Morristown, tn.
Donna Caponi
Burlington, ma.
Kay Cockerill
San francisco, ca.
Elaine Crosby
Jackson, mi.
Diane Daugherty
Carbondale, il, florence descampe, brussels, belgium.
Michelle Dobek
Chicopee, ma.
Moira Dunn-Bohls
Michelle Estill
Jackie Gallagher-Smith
Vicki Goetze-Ackerman
Riverview, fl.
Lisa Grimes
Gold canyon, az.
Sandra Haynie
Fort worth, tx.
Kathryn Imrie
Portola valley, ca.
Christa Johnson
Marjorie Jones
Denise Killeen
Jenny Lidback
Sally Little
Capetown, s. africa.
Michelle McGann
N. palm beach, fl.
Patricia Meunier-Lebouc
Catrin Nilsmark
Danderyd, sweden.
Kristal Parker
Margaret platt-klaus, township of washington, nj.
Susie Redman
The woodlands, tx.
Cindy Schreyer
Peachtree city, ga.
Val Skinner
Bay head, nj.
Angela Stanford
Ft. worth, tx.
Suzanne Strudwick
Knoxville, tn.
Sherri Turner
Karen Weiss
Kim Williams
Bethesda, md.
Dina Ammaccapane
Lori Atsedes
Goodyear, az.
Laura Baugh
Ponte vedra, fl.
Jane Blalock
Cambridge, ma.
Pat Bradley
W. hyannisport, ma.
Barb Bunkowsky
West palm beach, fl.
JoAnne Carner
Lake worth, fl.
Yvonne Cox-Holmes
Lisa D'Amore
Laura Davies
Surrey, england.
Winston-Salem, NC
Wendy Doolan
Lakeland, fl.
AJ Eathorne
Vernon, bc canada.
Cindy Figg-Currier
Jane Geddes
Gail Graham
Kris hanson.
Carolyn Hill
Juli Inkster
Los altos, ca.
Trish Johnson
London, england.
Prince Edward Island
Leta Lindley
Nancy Lopez
Palm city, fl.
Debbie Massey
Cheboygan, mi.
Sara Anne McGettrick
Spartansburg, sc.
Cindy Miller
Silver creek, ny.
Martha Nause
Minneapolis, mn, karen noble.
Paula Pearson Tucker
Miami gardens, fl.
Christie Quinn
Palm springs, ca.
Laurie Rinker
Nancy Scranton
St. augustine, fl.
Annika Sorenstam
Farmingham, ma, june staton.
Nancy Taylor
Lee Ann Walker
Southport, sc.
Glenwood Springs, CO
Loretta young.
Golf clubs of the top 50 LPGA pros (WITB)
Women’s golf is becoming increasingly popular and is catching up to men’s golf rapidly. This study on the increasing purse sizes of LPGA major tournaments confirms this fact. The purse of the Women’s PGA Championship has nearly doubled since 2013. You can read more about it here.
At this moment, the number of female golfers in the world is probably the highest in recorded history, and this number is rising year by year. Each year, thousands of young girls grab their first golf clubs and embark on their golfing journeys. These budding lady golfers often wonder which clubs their role models use to win the most prestigious tournaments.
Driven by this fact, our team at Golf Reporter looked into the golf bags of the top 50 LPGA professionals. We found some shocking statistics that might surprise many of you. In this article, we’ll talk about the golf clubs used by the top 50 LPGA pros, including the driver, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters.
However, it is worth noting that this data is for 44 out of the top 50 LPGA pros. The information for the remaining 6 golfers was either wholly or partially unavailable. These are Pajaree Anannarukarn, Yealimi Noh, Wei-Ling Hsu, Shanshan Feng, Su Oh, and Lauren Stephenson. That is why we have left those 6 out of this study.
We have compiled all the data into a table for your convenience. Here it is.
Analysis and Findings
After collecting the data and codifying it into a table, we began looking for patterns, and we found some quite interesting ones. We have classified them into respective club categories.
The driver and the putter are the only two clubs guaranteed to be in every golf bag. Or so we thought. Oddly, one LPGA pro does not use the driver, and she’s quite a prominent figure.
We’re talking about world number 5, Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand. She does not have a driver in her bag. Instead, she uses her 3-wood or her utility iron in the tee box.
Apparently, Ping drivers are all the rage among LPGA pros as 10 of them opt for them, with Ping G425 being the most popular. Patty Tavatanakit (world number 3) is the highest-ranking LPGA pro who uses Ping drivers. Not far behind is TaylorMade, with 8 users, including Moriya Jutanugarn (world number 11), who uses the M2 driver.
Callaway, PXG, and Titleist are the next ones in line, with 7, 6, and 5 users, respectively. The world number one, Nelly Korda, uses the Titleist TSi1 driver with Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 6S shaft.
Most of these LPGA golfers have different loft settings, but 15 of them prefer to go with the 9 degrees option. Furthermore, 10 players have chosen Fujikura shafts as their preferred option, while 9 others prefer Graphite Design or Mitsubishi shafts.
Fairway Woods
The configuration of fairway woods varies from person to person. Some prefer to use only a single club, while others prefer two or even three. Usually, 3-wood is the widely used choice of most golfers, and this list conforms to this fact. Everyone in this list uses a 3-wood, except one.
Nanna Koerstz Madsen is the only pro in the top 50 who doesn’t use the 3 wood. Interestingly, she’s also the only one who uses the 4-wood.
17 of these golfers also use a 5-wood along with their 3-wood. However, only four LPGA pros still use the extremely rare 7-wood, including the world number one, Nelly Korda. Her sister Jessica Korda, Leona Maguire, and Lizette Salas are the other three who use the 7-wood.
Here, Callaway has managed to get the better of its rivals by securing the trust of 11 golfers. Callaway is followed by Ping and TaylorMade, with 9 and 7 players, respectively. PXG, Titleist, and Srixon come next, with 6, 5, and 4 users, respectively.
34 LPGA pros from the top 50 keep hybrid golf clubs in their bags, which clearly suggests their widespread popularity among women golfers. This number is significantly higher than their male counterparts. You can read more about this here. In addition, nearly half (16) of these hybrids using women golfers prefer to play with a 19-degree loft.
In hybrid clubs, Ping is back on top with 9 players choosing their products. PXG is the 2nd most popular brand with 6 users. Other giants, including TaylorMade and Titleist, have only four users each. This might suggest that these brands have apparently not won the trust of women golfers when it comes to hybrids. Callaway is even farther behind with merely 3 users.
Similar to fairway woods, the configuration of irons varies from golfer to golfer. However, we found an arrangement that has repeated itself several times, 16 to be exact. The majority of LPGA pros favor a 5-iron to pitching wedge assortment. While only four golfers avoid the 5-iron and have 6-iron to pitching wedge iron sets. In addition, Nippon has established itself as the most preferred choice for iron shafts as 10 LPGA pros choose their products.
Here too, Ping has emerged as the most trusted choice with 10 players. Srixon makes a surprise appearance with 6 users along with Titleist and PXG. They are followed by TaylorMade and Callaway, each of whom is used by 5 players.
Titleist makes a dramatic recovery in the wedges section. Titleist Vokey wedges have cemented themselves as one of the most reliable wedges for LPGA pros with 16 users. World number one, Nelly Korda, along with 8 others, uses their latest SM8 version.
Ping and PXG are the next most popular brands with 9 and 8 users, respectively. Cleveland Golf makes a dramatic appearance with 4 users, with Minjee Lee (world number 10) as the highest-ranking golfer who uses them.
Callaway and TaylorMade also fail to make a mark with only a handful of users. 4 players use Callaway wedges while only 2 choose TaylorMade wedges.
Callaway makes a strong comeback in the putters category, thanks to their state-of-the-art Odyssey putters. 12 golfers play with Odyssey putters, with Ariya Jutanugarn (world number 5) and Inbee Park (world number 6) as the highest-ranking golfers.
Titleist’s Scotty Cameron putters are not far behind with 10 users. Current world number one, Nelly Korda and her sister Jessica (world number 7), both use Scotty Cameron putters. Besides these two sisters, three others from the top 10 (total 5) are regular Scotty Cameron putter users.
Ping comes in at the third spot with 9 users. Leona Maguire (world number 8) is the highest-ranking golfer to use Ping putters. Other brands like TaylorMade and PXG are at 4th and 5th positions, respectively, with 5 and 4 players.
Bettinardi Golf makes its first appearance with two users, Patty Tavatanakit (world number 3) and Nasa Hataoka (world number 18). Other brands to make an appearance are Piretti and Swag Golf.
Phil Mickelson finally found a hybrid he loves
What GolfWRXers are saying about TaylorMade’s 300 Mini Driver
Katie Fitzgerald is the managing editor at Golf Reporter . She found her passion in sports writing over 10 years back and has been playing golf since she was 10 years old.
Pingback: Former LPGA pro shares detailed breakdown of expenses for a year on Symetra Tour – GolfWRX
Nov 3, 2021 at 10:13 pm
Great info all in one place. My distances relate to mid or lower length LPGA pros and have been looking to properly gap the upper end of the bag. Two really strong trends split about 50/50 are shown here with a little variation on the 4H, 4I, or 4U:
3 wood (15), 5 wood (18), 4 hybrid (22-23) [sometimes 4U/ 4I] or 3 wood (15), 3 hybrid (19-20), 4I [sometimes 4H 22-23]
In case anyone else has tried some different setups and may relate – I’ve tried eliminating a 3 wood twice, due to the fitting recommendations of the higher lofted woods creating more carry and controlled decent. Tried a strong lofted 5 wood, 7 wood and gapping from there. Each time I found myself missing a 3 wood for certain situations fairly often. Seeing this list helps confirm the setup options I need to test.
Always more of a challenge to get current women’s witb info. Thanks for putting it together and sharing some analysis.
Oct 8, 2021 at 12:01 pm
Good info. Could you also give details of their shaft flexes (R, S, XS)? Would help golfers with similar swing speeds. Thanks
Hunter Warne
Oct 8, 2021 at 1:16 pm
Most of them have the shaft flexes listed. I’m guessing the one’s that don’t weren’t available.
JungleJimbo
Oct 8, 2021 at 12:57 am
excellent, thanks for providing this in response to our request for more LPGA WITBs! 🙂
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Why rory mcilroy will likely use the new taylormade brnr mini driver copper at the rbc heritage.
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
View this post on Instagram A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)
According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
Spotted: TaylorMade P-UDI driving iron
It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.
We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.
From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.
“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.
TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°
TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
Whats in the Bag
Collin morikawa witb 2024 (april).
- Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
- Check out more in-hand photos Collin Morikawa’s clubs here.
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-TW11) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
Scottie Scheffler WITB 2024 (March)
Photos from the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
Joaquin Niemann names 3 PGA Tour events he’d love to play each year ‘in a perfect world’
Spotted: Bettinardi irons at the Arnold Palmer Invitational
Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here. Driver: TaylorMade...
WITB Time Machine: Jordan Spieth’s winning WITB, 2022 RBC Heritage
At the 2022 RBC Heritage Jordan Spieth defeated Patrick Cantlay on the first playoff hole after nearly holing his greenside...
Jason Day WITB 2024 (April)
Jason Day what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees @10) Shaft: TPT...
Ludvig Åberg WITB 2024 (April)
Ludvig Åberg what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)...
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
Addiction, spinal fusion, and scam artists – Everything Anthony Kim revealed in candid interview with David Feherty
Anthony Kim says doctors told him that he ‘may not have much time left’ ahead of LIV return
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Tune in to watch as the LPGA Tour tees it up for their first major championship of the 2024 season. The Club at Carlton Woods plays host to The Chevron Championship. The 132-player field ...
— LPGA (@LPGA) April 19, 2024 . Ryu is a player who, despite not reaching every single goal she set for herself or winning every tournament she teed it up in, put a premium on her relationships ...
The 2023 CME Group Tour Championship winner is one of the most consistent major performers on the LPGA without a major title in hand. Yang has 21 top-10s, including 12 top-5s, since winning low ...
With wins in four consecutive starts, Korda is outpacing all of the LPGA Tour -- and even fellow No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler. ... When she competed with PGA Tour players at the QBE Shootout in ...
Nelly Korda is one shot off the lead through 36 holes at the Chevron Championship as she seeks to tie an LPGA Tour record with her fifth straight win. ... embraces fellow players after playing her final round during the second round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Club at Carlton Woods, in The ...
Korda became the first LPGA Tour player in eight years to win three straight starts, shooting a 7-under-par 65 to rally for for a two-stroke victory in the Ford Championship.
Korda is trying to become the first LPGA Tour player to win four consecutive starts since Lorena Ochoa in 2008. The record is five, set by Nancy Lopez in 1978 and matched by Annika Sorenstam in ...
The 25-year-old could join Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) as the only players to win five consecutive LPGA Tour events. She was asked if it felt inevitable that she would tie ...
The LPGA is the oldest continuing women's professional sports organization in the United States. [4] [5] It succeeded the WPGA (Women's Professional Golf Association), which was founded in 1944 but stopped its limited tour after the 1948 season and officially ceased operations in December 1949. [6]
2024 LPGA Tour Rankings. Get the complete picture on how your favorite LPGA Tour players stack up throughout the entire 2024 season. Get the latest tour rankings here from USA TODAY.
This table lists players with 10 or more wins on the LPGA Tour. It is based on the list on the LPGA Tour's official site, which differs slightly from the main win lists on player's personal profiles on the site. The wins counted here include professional titles won before the tour was founded in 1950; and LPGA Tour events won as an amateur, or ...
The latest Trackman data shows that LPGA Tour players carry their drives 218 yards with a clubhead speed of 94 mph, which encourages a ball speed of 140 mph and a maximum height of 25 yards off the ground. By comparison, PGA Tour players carry the ball 275 yards off the tee with a clubhead speed of around 113 mph, a ball speed of 167 mph, which ...
There's turnover every season when it comes to player-caddie partnerships on the LPGA, particularly at the start of the year. World No. 1 Lydia Ko has changed caddies regularly throughout her career, including this season, despite having an enormously strong 2022. Minjee Lee, who won a couple majors in the past two years, will begin 2023 with a new looper after enjoying much success with ...
But tournament preparations didn't stop some LPGA Tour players from venturing to Augusta, Ga., to watch the 88th Masters Tournament, some even doing so with family and friends.
To find out we took a detailed look at the driver each of the top 50 players on the LPGA Tour is carrying. PING's G425 LST is the most popular driver among the top 50 LPGA Tour players with 6 players choosing it. Titleist's TSi3 is the next most used model while PING's G410 Plus driver ranks 3rd. 26% of this elite group play a PING driver ...
Lexi Thompson is 1.83m tall. (Image credit: Getty Images) The best example of such a player, and joint tallest currently competing on the LPGA Tour, is Lexi Thompson, who stands at 6ft/1.83m. Thompson's driving distance is one of the biggest strengths of her game and for over 10 years Lexi has ranked inside the top 10 on the distance charts ...
Through that series, 45 LPGA Tour cards are decided. Players who finished 101st through 150th on the regular season Race to the CME Globe points list earn conditional LPGA Tour status for next season.
PING clubs are most used by the top 50 LPGA Tour players with Titleist and PXG clubs the next most popular brands. Across all the golf club types played by the top 50 only TaylorMade drivers, PXG hybrid clubs and Callaway's Odyssey putters break PING's and Titleist's dominance as the most used clubs. The best players on the LPGA Tour ...
The average LPGA Tour player doesn't hit their driver 300-plus yards. In fact, very few players on the LPGA hit any 300-yard drives. On average, an LPGA Tour player hits their ball longer than ...
Pos Player Country Events Race to CME Points; 1 Nelly Korda USA : 5: 2052.000 2
Akaya Furue from Japan is the shortest player on the LPGA Tour. Only a few players were undefeated at the 2023 Solheim Cup in Finca Cortestin in Spain, and one of those was Megan Khang. The American, who is the first LPGA Tour player of Hmong and Laotian descent, is just 5' 1"/1.55m.
Tune in to watch as the LPGA Tour tees it up for their first major championship of the 2024 season. The Club at Carlton Woods plays host to The Chevron Championship. The 132-player field ...
Cameron Champ currently leads the club-head speed charts this season with a 129.72 average. You'll also notice that the average PGA Tour player hits down on their driver (attack angle -1.3 ...
Biographies and profiles members of Legends of the LPGA, veteran LPGA Tour stars age 45+ now competing on the official senior tour of the LPGA.
Lydia Ko Trusts Her Pro V1 x + Golf Ball as She Claims Her 20th LPGA TOUR Title. Longtime Titleist golf ball player Lydia Ko opened the 2024 season with a decisive victory against the LPGA's best, posting a final-round 70 to close...
Patty Tavatanakit (world number 3) is the highest-ranking LPGA pro who uses Ping drivers. Not far behind is TaylorMade, with 8 users, including Moriya Jutanugarn (world number 11), who uses the M2 driver. Callaway, PXG, and Titleist are the next ones in line, with 7, 6, and 5 users, respectively.