Lost in the LPGA's season-long parity is a confounding American win drought

NAPLES, Fla. — The LPGA has seen an emergence of talented rookies and international players winning this season. So far, there are 29 different event champions heading into this week’s CME Tour Championship.

But one thing that’s been lost in all the parity on tour is the drought American players have experienced. With only three winners—and none since June—the U.S. makes up basically 10 percent of those who have lifted trophies this year. Japan, a rising power in the women’s game, has had seven titles come from six players, including two and a major from Rookie of the Year Miyu Yamashita. South Korea also has seven wins (including a duo that won the team Dow Championship). Four different Swedes have won and the whole of Europe has six victories. Heck, the Iwai family from Japan has just one fewer win than the U.S., with rookies Iwai and Chisato taking one each.

There’s been a stark change in American wins from the previous few years.

This season was off to a great start as Yealimi Noh won the Founders Cup in February, then Angel Yin captured the Honda LPGA Thailand the very next week. But it would take 11 more events for another U.S. victory, with Jennifer Kupcho seizing the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June. An American hasn’t won since in a span of 16 tournaments.

This can be rightfully be dubbed an American drought after U.S. players accounted for 12 victories on the LPGA in 2024, including seven by Nelly Korda, two by Lauren Coughlin, and one each from Rose Zhang, Bailey Tardy and Lilia Vu. In 2023, there were nine American wins—four from Vu, and one each from Yin, Zhang, Allisen Corpuz, Alexa Pano and Megan Khang.

Some of those players who were winning with regularity have struggled. Vu was the player of the year in 2023, when she won two majors, but she’s dealt with back issues this year and made only eight cuts to miss the Tour Championship.

Zhang is also not in the 60-player field this week. In 2023, the Stanford product became a star as she won her professional debut at the Mizuho Americas Open. That followed a stellar amateur career, and she figured to be the next great player in women’s golf. She won the Cognizant Founders Cup last year and has 11 career top-10s, but she dealt with an injury this season and she takes extensive periods of time off as she’s working on her degree at Stanford. She’s missed seven of 14 cuts this season.

The most surprising winless streak, of course, has come from Korda, the World No. 2 who has eight top-10s, including two runners-up, but no victories in 18 starts.

One must wonder if the lack of wins could affect the American as they march toward the September 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands.

First-time captain U.S. captain Angela Stanford—who played in six Solheim Cups—says she isn’t worried about it.

“No, not at all. I'm very aware of the ebb and flow of seasons, Solheim years and non-Solheim years,” Stanford said at a CME Group Tour Championship press conference on Monday. “I know they're all trying as hard as they possibly can. But I also knew when I was playing that when it became a Solheim Cup year, I wanted to win those years, but I was also trying to earn points to make a team. When you get into that mentality, you start seeing better finishes, whether they're thinking about it or not. I always did, personally.”

The winless season for Korda after the seven victories last year, including five straight, isn’t worrisome for Stanford, either.

“I just think it's kind of the ebb and flow, and people are in different stages of their life,” Stanford said. “For Nelly, not many people have ever won that many in a year, much less in a row. That's something that I can only imagine is really difficult to follow. I kind of felt for her in that everybody just expects if you can do it once, you should be able to do it again.

“I think Nelly handled it really well this year. She played amazing all year. Winning is really hard. Personally, I think that shows. We had 29 different winners. That shows how hard it is to win out here. I'm not worried about the Americans.”

Is this year a fluke for the Americans? Maybe, maybe not. But as Stanford pours over statistics over the next 10 months to work with and form her Solheim Cup team, an important one will be closing out tournaments and wins.

2025 LPGA winners

Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions—A Lim Kim (South Korea)
Founders Cup—Yealimi Noh (U.S.)
Honda LPGA Thailand—Angel Yin (U.S.)
HSBC Women’s World Championship—Lydia Ko (New Zealand)
Blue Bay LPGA—Rio Takeda (Japan)
Ford Championship—Hyo Joo Kim (South Korea)
T-Mobile Match Play—Madelene Sagstrom (Sweden)
JM Eagle LA Championship—Ingrid Lindblad (Sweden)
Chevron Championship—Mao Saigo (Japan)
Black Desert Championship—Haeran Ryu (South Korea)
Mizuho Americas Open—Jeeno Thitikul (Thailand)
Riviera Maya Open—Chisato Iwai (Japan)
U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally—Maja Stark (Sweden)
ShopRite LPGA Classic—Jennifer Kupcho (U.S.)
Meijer LPGA Classic—Carlota Ciganda (Spain)
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship—Minjee Lee (South Korea)
Dow Championship (two-person team event)—Somi Lee (South Korea) and Jin Hee Im (South Korea)
Amundi Evian Championship—Grace Kim (Australia)
Women’s Scottish Open—Lottie Woad (England)
AIG Women’s Open—Miyu Yamashita (Japan)
Standard Portland Classic—Akie Iwai (Japan)
CPKC Women’s Open—Brooke Henderson (Canada)
FM Championship—Miranda Wang (China)
Kroger Queen City Championship—Charley Hull (England)
Lotte Championship—Youmin Hwang (South Korea)
Buick LPGA Shanghai—Jeeno Thitikul (Thailand)
BMW Ladies Championship—Sei Young Kim (South Korea)
Maybank Championship—Miyu Yamashita (Japan)
Toto Japan Classic—Nasa Hataoka (Japan)
The Annika—Linn Grant (Sweden)