I didn’t think the AIG Women’s Open would be the last we heard of Miyu Yamashita, and what an impression she made at Royal Porthcawl, keeping her cool down the stretch while Charley Hull was hunting her down.
Last weekend, competing in her first full season on tour, the Japanese star became only the second player in 2025 (after Jeeno Thitikul) to win twice on the LPGA, claiming the Maybank Championship in Malaysia after a nail-biting three-way playoff.
It’s definitely been a different energy on the LPGA compared to 2024. Back then, Nelly Korda dominated leaderboards with seven wins, including her second Major. Now, the tournaments having so many different winners really prove the depth of the tour.
As golf fans, we love seeing new faces pop up in the winner’s circle, especially when they're British, like Charley Hull and Lottie Woad! But while all that parity is fantastic for competition, the downside is that it hasn't generated the same massive headlines that Nelly Korda did during her run.
I certainly don't want a walkover every week, that would be boring, but the women's game could really use one or two players to properly break out and grab that spotlight to draw more attention.
In the meantime, it looks like the LPGA is banking on Donald Trump’s granddaughter Kia to put women’s golf in the spotlight at the The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican from 13-16 November. The 18-year-old amateur golfer, who will begin her studies in Fall 2026 at the University of Miami, has been given a sponsor’s invitation to tee up with the leading female pros. Hmm!
We saw the amazing buzz Caitlin Clark created last year at the pro-am, where she played with Nelly Korda and tournament host Annika Sorenstam. She's returning this time for another go. I get it, inviting players who can guarantee media attention and more eyeballs makes total business sense, but I think there’s a line. A pro-am invite is one thing, but I'm not entirely convinced Kia should get a spot to play in the main LPGA tournament.
I commented on the subject in this article. Look, good on Kia for receiving a sponsor’s invite, she’s clearly a very good golfer, but when a spot goes to a player whose primary qualification seems to be their last name and social media reach, it must feel like a slap in the face for those elite college stars, struggling tour players, and international talents who are grinding away and further down the road in their journey of dedicating their lives to golf.
They’d give absolutely anything for one chance to tee it up on the LPGA Tour. Sadly, I guess that’s just the way the world works, sometimes business totally trumps merit. Or, perhaps it’s a case of not what you know, but who you know! Just saying …
By Alison Root, Women's Editor Golf Monthly.
By Alison Root, Women's Editor Golf Monthly.
