On the ropes, it’s hard to imagine a better season for the LPGA.
Fan favorite Lydia Ko played her way into the LPGA Hall of Fame in spectacular fashion, cementing her greatness, and an American dominated the tour for the first time in decades.
There was also a lot of drama off the course, even after the season ended. The sudden departure of a commissioner as well as significant changes to the LPGA’s gender policy will impact the tour for years to come.
A record 34 LPGA players have won more than $1 million in 2024. Five players have won multiple times. It was finally a season for the stars.
Without further ado, here is a look at the top 10 scenarios for 2024:
1. Lydia Ko’s golden moment
It is impossible to overstate the gravity of the moment. Few athletes are lucky enough to make it to the Hall of Fame. Such decisions are usually made in boardrooms by committees and outside the court or field. But the LPGA points system meant Ko could secure her place with victory. That the triumph came at the 2024 Paris Olympics – giving him a career string of bronze, silver and gold medals – was nothing short of legendary. At 27, Ko became the youngest person to enter the LPGA Hall by current standards and 35 years old.thoverall.
2. Lydia Ko’s magical summer continues
As if the Hall of Fame and Olympic gold weren’t enough, Ko won again two weeks later on golf’s most hallowed ground. Ko became only the third woman to win the AIG Women’s British Open at St. Andrews, joining Lorena Ochoa and Stacy Lewis. Playing the round in pouring rain and wind, Ko showed her Hall of Fame mettle when she hit a stunning 3-wood into the Road Hole to set up a par birdie that couldn’t be beaten. It was his third career major victory and first in eight years.
3. ’10/10′
The most unforgettable hole of the year took place on a Thursday at the U.S. Women’s Open when Nelly Korda made a 10 on the par-3 12th.th. In the midst of a torrid stretch in which she has won six of her last seven starts, Korda’s hopes at Lancaster Country Club were dashed after three holes.
“Well that was a 10/10,” Korda wrote on Instagram after missing the cut. That she was able to find some humor in the situation a few days later was a good sign, even if it would take her a while to get back on track.
4. Changes at the top
Just days after the conclusion of a historic 2024 season, LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan announced she was resigning effective January 9, 2025. Marcoux Samaan, the tour’s ninth commissioner, is at the helm for almost three and a half years. His contract lasted until the summer of 2026.
The former Princeton athletic director was the second woman to hold the position. Carolyn Bivens was ousted by the players in July 2009.
5. Korda launches into celebration
The LPGA’s first major of the year came with some history as Korda became the first American to win five consecutive starts since Nancy Lopez in 1978. Annika Sorenstam (2004-2005) is the only other player to win five consecutive victories in LPGA history. In a marathon Sunday that included the finish of the third round, Korda shot 69 to edge Maja Stark and win by two in Texas.
A few weeks later, Korda made headlines in a stunning Oscar de la Renta gown at the annual Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
6. The long goodbye
Lexi Thompson leads a long list of LPGA players who have announced plans to retire from full-time competition after the 2024 season. While fan favorites Thompson and Brittany Lincicome plan to make multiple appearances in 2024, it’s unlikely that several others, like Ally Ewing and Amy Olson, will be back anytime soon.
Here is a full list of players who have announced their departure after 2024.
7. Most viral moment
Charley Hull hates smoking. She said she only got into the habit of quitting vaping. But when the Englishwoman was filmed smoking a cigarette while signing autographs at the US Women’s Open, the video spread like wildfire. She gained 70,000 followers on Instagram this week alone and it took months before the smoke cleared.
8. Spoiler Solheim
The transportation debacle at the Solheim Cup has overshadowed the start of a record-breaking week at the LPGA crown jewel. An unfortunate bus shortage has turned into a leadership crisis.
On the ropes, however, the American team scored a resounding victory and, led by Nelly Korda’s spirited jumper, had a lot of fun in the process.
9. Historical Payday
Jeeno Thitikul’s eagle-birdie finish at the CME Group Tour Championship earned him the the biggest salary in the history of women’s golf. The $4 million payday follows a $1 million bonus for winning the Aon Risk Reward Challenge.
Thitikul went to Disney World with friends to celebrate.
10. Breakout Star
Lauren Coughlin, 32, won for the first time at the CPKC Women’s Open in her 101st LPGA start. A few weeks later, she won again at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open. It all led to a climactic moment at the Solheim Cup, where the former UVA player played 65 miles from home at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.
Coughlin’s 3-0-1 performance was the stuff of dreams.
Bonus: Caitlin Clark’s mania
Caitlin Clark stole the show from the start at The Annika, creating incredible buzz for the LPGA’s penultimate event. She played the front nine with Korda and the back nine with Sorenstam and engaged with the fans every round. Once the tour is over, the crowd of fans rushes to get Clark’s autograph it was a sight to see.
Hopefully there will be more to come from Clark and the LPGA in 2025.
This article was originally published on Golfweek: LPGA: Top 10 storylines for 2024 season include Nelly Korda
