Former world No. 1 Ko Jin-young leads Korean contingent at 1st major of LPGA season
Ko Jin-young of Korea takes her tee shot on the 12th hole during pro-am play prior to the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards 2025 at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nev., U.S., April 1. AFP-Yonhap
Ko Jin-young, former world No. 1 and currently the top-ranked Korean, will headline her country's contingent at the first major tournament of the 2025 LPGA Tour season in Texas this week.
The Chevron Championship will open at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, on Thursday, as the first of five majors this year.
Ko, world No. 11, won the previous incarnation of this tournament six years ago, when it was called the ANA Inspiration and was played at Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, in April 2019.
It was the first of Ko's two major titles, as she also won the Evian Championship three months later. She has not added a major title since then.
Ko is coming off a seventh-place finish at the JM Eagle LA Championship last week, when she shot a final round of six-under 66.
Korean players in general have struggled at majors in recent years. They went 0-for-5 in 2021 and 2023, while winning once in 2022 and 2024.
In the latest world rankings, no Korean player cracked the top 10, the first time that has happened since June 2006.
Ryu Hae-ran, who had been No. 9 last week, fell three spots to No. 12. She doesn't have a top-10 finish yet in six tournaments this season.
Kim A-lim, one of two Korean winners this year, leads the points race for the Player of the Year award with 41, one ahead of world No. 3 Lydia Ko. With four top-10s, Kim ranks second on the tour behind Jeeno Thitkul of Thailand, who has been in the top 10 at five tournaments.
In the Rookie of Year competition, Yoon Ina is in sixth place with 98 points, while Rio Takeda of Japan leads the way with 341 points, on the strength of her victory and two other top-10 finishes.
A tournament win is worth 150 points but a major title is good for 300 points.
Yoon was in contention for her maiden title at the LA Championship, where she began the final round two shots off the lead, but she shot 73 on Sunday to finish tied for 16th.