The LPGA Tour season began with surprises at its opening event. Nelly Korda, who went winless last year, claimed victory at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, while Yang Hee-young, who had no top-10 finishes in 2024, secured a sweet solo second place. Rookie Hwang Yu-min, the only first-year player in the field, also made a blazing debut with a tied fifth-place finish.
The results of this upset-filled opener were reflected in the women's golf world rankings released Monday.
There was no change at the top, with Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand holding first place at 11.86 points and Nelly Korda of the United States remaining second at 7.96 points. However, the gap has narrowed significantly to just 3.9 points, signaling the start of Korda's charge toward the top spot. Yang Hee-young, who had fallen to 79th in the world, surged 28 places to 51st, putting her on track to re-enter the top 50.
Hwang Yu-min is also accelerating her climb toward the world's top 10, rising four spots from 32nd to 28th. The four players she passed are all formidable competitors: Ayaka Furue of Japan at 29th, Jennifer Kupcho of the United States at 30th, Chisato Iwai of Japan at 31st, and Ko Jin-young at 32nd.
Lee So-mi, who finished tied for ninth at the opener, also climbed three spots to a career-high 39th, while Yoo Hyun-jo dropped two places from 39th to 41st.
Kim A-rim, who also tied for ninth at the opener, moved up one spot to 26th in the world. Kim Hyo-joo and Kim Sei-young, who did not participate in the opening event, each fell one spot to ninth and 10th respectively compared to last week.