Asian Players Claim 9 Wins in 16 Tournaments This Year
8 of Top 10 in World and Prize Rankings Are of Asian Descent
Only One Win for Americans Excluding Asian Americans
Asian players have taken over the LPGA Tour.
As of June 26, the LPGA Tour has held 16 tournaments this season. Among these, players from Asian countries have claimed 9 victories, representing a 56% win rate. When including players of Asian descent, the total rises to 11 wins, or 69%. Eight of the top 10 players in the world rankings are of Asian descent: No. 2 Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand), No. 3 Lydia Ko (New Zealand), No. 4 Yin Ruoning (China), No. 5 Yoo Hae-ran (Korea), No. 6 Minji Lee (Australia), No. 7 Angel Yin (Chinese-American), No. 9 Kim Hyo-joo (Korea), and No. 10 Saigo Mao (Japan).
Immigrant from Australia Minji Lee won last week’s major tournament, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, rising to first place in the prize money rankings. Photo by AFP Yonhap News
This season, eight of the top 10 players in the LPGA Tour prize money rankings are also of Asian descent. Minji Lee leads with $2.61 million, followed by Saigo Mao in third with $1.96 million, Takeda Rio (Japan) in fourth with $1.92 million, Atthaya Thitikul in sixth with $1.70 million, Choi Hye-jin (Korea) in seventh with $1.43 million, Yin Ruoning in eighth with $1.41 million, Angel Yin in ninth with $1.26 million, and Chanettee Wannasaen (Thailand) in tenth with $1.26 million. There are also eight Asian players ranked between 11th and 20th in prize money. In total, 16 of the top 20 are of Asian descent.
In the past, Korean players dominated the LPGA Tour. Park Seri (25 wins), Park Inbee (21 wins), Ko Jin-young (15 wins), Kim Sei-young (12 wins), Shin Ji-ae (11 wins), Choi Na-yeon (9 wins), Kim Mi-hyun (8 wins), Park Sung-hyun and Kim In-kyung (7 wins each), Yoo So-yeon, Park Ji-eun, Han Hee-won, and Ji Eun-hee (6 wins each) all showcased Korean power. This year as well, Kim A-lim (Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions), Kim Hyo-joo (Ford Championship), and Yoo Hae-ran (Black Desert Championship) have delivered victories.
However, the era of Korean dominance has come to an end. Japan, led by rookies Takeda and Iwai Chisato, has created a sensation with three wins. Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand have each secured one win, consistently reaching the top. Now, players from a variety of Asian countries are collecting championship trophies. The United States has managed only three wins this year. Among the winners are Angel Yin (Honda LPGA Thailand) and Korean-American Noh Yealimi (Founders Cup). The only purely American winner is Jennifer Kupcho, who won the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Saigo Mao is a leading Japanese player who won this year's major Chevron Championship. Photo by AP Yonhap News
For the United States, the underperformance of its marquee players is disappointing. World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who swept seven victories last year and has 15 career wins, has yet to win this season. Lilia Vu, who has five career wins, is also struggling. Lexi Thompson, once a leading American player, has retired, and Stacy Lewis is no longer a significant presence. Although there are 17 tournaments remaining on the LPGA Tour this year, it seems unlikely that the United States will stage a dramatic comeback.
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