There’s no doubt about it—2023 has been a hot year for golf! Earlier, the Top 10 Male Golfers in the World: Who to Keep Your Eyes on (insert link) article was released. This time, it’s the female golfers’ turn! There have been rumors about the presence of competition to the standard tour structure in female golf, similar to what LIV has done on the male side of the game, but nothing like that has happened yet, so we’ll be focused on the LPGA Tour and how each player’s season has been going so far. It’s worth noting that—unlike the PGA Tour—the LPGA Tour’s season still follows the calendar year, so there are no 2022 fall events that qualify as being in the same tour season as the events that have been played so far in 2023.

Just like the last time, we will run down the Top 10 LPGA Rankings according to the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings as of April 3rd, 2023. We will start at 10 and work our way down.

10. Georgia Hall

For being in the last slot in the Top 10, Georgia Hall has been on a tear to start the season! That’s actually what has rocketed her into the Top 10! In a small sample size of four events so far this season, Hall has finished as the runner-up twice already! In fact, they were in her last two starts at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain and then for the second time at the DIO Implant LA Open. At the DIO, Hall shot 62, or nine strokes under par, in the third round to catapult herself up the leaderboard and end up with that second straight solo 2nd finish.

Obviously, rounding into form lately bodes well for Hall in the near term. The ladies' circuit contains five major championships compared to the men’s four, with the first being at the end of April this year at the Chevron Championship down in Texas. With a couple of weeks to go until that first major, it’ll be interesting to see if Hall can keep up the pace and continue gaining momentum. Should she have more rounds of 62 in the bag, it’ll be hard to count her out!

9. Hyo-Joo Kim

Hyo-Joo Kim has played one less event this year and overall, hasn’t played as many events as many of the players in the Top 10, but her average finish throughout those events has helped her average point total. Despite having only played three events so far this season, Kim has placed in the top 10 in every event. Not only that, but every result has improved; she was T10 at the Honda LPGA Thailand, T8 at the HSBC Women's World Championship, and T3 at the DIO Implant LA Open!

Consistent results speak for themselves. Kim has shown in her season so far that come the weekend, she won’t be out of the mix. Keep an eye out for the rest of the year; she’ll be around the top of the leaderboard!

8. Celine Boutier

Unlike on the men’s side, we didn’t have to wait long in the standings to find our first winner this season. Celine Boutier took home some hardware at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain at the end of March, finishing at -20 for the event. Her other finishes this year include a T4, T11, and 26th.

Boutier is hitting 75% of greens so far this season and ranks in the top 10 for total rounds under par. Continuing to get it done in the scoring department will only pay dividends for her as the season progresses and being a winner already this year bodes well for some solid golf going forward. Her next start will be interesting, as it’ll be her first after her win. Ensuring continued form instead of succumbing to the hangover of tasting victory will be of the utmost importance for Boutier.

7. Brooke Henderson

It feels like with how long Brooke Henderson has been playing exceptional golf on the LPGA Tour, she can’t only be 25 years old. Given the fact that she started back in 2015, fans have enjoyed many a highlight from Henderson and she continues to be one of the top players on tour year after year.

In the current season, Henderson also already has a win in the first full-field event of the season. After a performance of -16 over four days, she took home the trophy at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions to start the season. Since then, she has played three other events and finished T44, T48, and missed the cut most recently at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain Golf Club.

While the win to start the season certainly is fantastic, Henderson will look to round back into form as the Chevron Championship approaches and the main stretch of the year starts coming into focus on the schedule.

6. Lexi Thompson

When discussing LPGA golf, few players have the notoriety that accompanies the likes of Lexi Thompson. Over her career, there have been some great performances and accolades. Similar to Brooke Henderson, it is crazy to think that Thompson is only 28 years old, given she’s been on tour since 2012.

Thompson’s season in 2023 has been short. She’s only made one start: a missed cut at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain. While it may be tempting to form a reaction off of this one start, professional golf fans who have been around a bit know that any given week, things can be out of sorts. Thompson missing her first cut of the year is hardly a long-term cause for concern, and even the best players in the world don’t have everything clicking every time they hit the course.

5. Minjee Lee

After having won the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles last year, Minjee Lee is now coming into 2023 having won a major in each of the last two seasons. She has only played two events in the 2023 season, making both cuts but not finishing better than T52.

The season has just started, so there’s no reason to overreact to a slow start. Winning a major against a championship field two years in a row is not an easy task and Lee has shown that she’s up for the challenge. Come time to hit the ground running in the major stretch of the season, she’ll likely find her stride.

4. Atthaya Thitikul

Atthaya Thitikul resides in the number four spot and has had a fairly solid start to the season this year. Across four starts in 2023, her results are 3rd, 10th, T16th, and 10th. Pretty consistently showing that she’s in the mix come Saturday and Sunday, her game seems to be on the right track as we move from the start of the season towards the majors and the midpoint of the year in June.

Thitikul has been in strong form for some time as well, coming off a streak of seven straight top 10s to finish 2022 that included claiming the top spot at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G. Her continuously strong presence come the weekend is a major reason she is holding down her world ranking and success will continue as long as she keeps being in the mix down the stretch!

3. Jin Young Ko

Once we move into the top three, the average ranking points elevate noticeably above the rest of the top 10 players in the world. Jin Young Ko currently is in the 3rd spot and has a win this season at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. Her other finishes in three other starts at T5, T6, and T25, which has her off to a good start and looking at another excellent year on the LPGA Tour.

Jin Young Ko currently leads the Rolex Player of the Year standings in 2023 on tour, given the start she’s had to the season. There is still a lot of golf left to be played, but it is hard to imagine her not being in the mix for the award towards the end of the year given what her resume and recent form look like.

2. Nelly Korda

Nelly Korda is currently the second-ranked player in the world and has become one of the faces of the LPGA Tour along with her sister Jessica Korda. Both have had great success on tour and Nelly Korda’s swing is pristine to watch if you’re a fan of great mechanics.

After having to take part of the year off last season, Korda came back and found form, winning the Pelican Women's Championship presented by Konica Minolta and Raymond James in November 2022. That win has propelled her into some strong play in 2023, with only one finish in five events being worse than T6. Her dazzling play seems set to continue and she will easily be one of the favorites to bring home the Chevron Championship towards the end of this month.

1. Lydia Ko

At the head of the pack of top-ranked players, in a slot that has been occupied by greats such as Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, and Inbee Park sits Lydia Ko. Lydia Ko has been around since she was very young, setting a record for the youngest LPGA winner in history back in 2012. Her game has generally been top notch and her form of late has been excellent, winning the 2022 Rolex Player of the Year award on tour. She woke up on Monday three times as a champion last season with victories in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, the BMW Ladies Championship, and the CME Group Tour Championship.

Ko has been sitting comfortably at the top of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings all of 2023 after her stellar year and also leads the LPGA’s Priority Order for event invitations. Her results this year so far include a T6, T31, and T34, but you can rest assured she will defend her spot atop the rankings and be in the mix down the stretch this season.

Conclusion

With so many players showing stellar form already this year, the LPGA Tour is just hitting its stride for 2023. All five majors are down the road and a lot of exciting golf is left to be played this year!

If you want to talk all things professional golf, get some new clubs yourself, work on your game, or look into styling like the pros, come talk to me or one of my fellow Curated Golfing Experts on our website or mobile app! We’d be happy to help you enjoy golf season to its fullest!