The LPGA’s season is coming down to the wire, with careers hanging in the balance at this week’s tournament in Florida.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda is making her comeback from a neck injury that’s kept her sidelined since September. She’s already locked up Player of the Year honors, but there’s plenty at stake for others in the 120-player field at The Annika in Belleair.
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For many players, it’s now or never.
The top 60 players after this week will head to Naples for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship – and a shot at the biggest payday in women’s golf. The winner takes home a whopping $4 million.
But here’s the twist: unlike the men’s tour, there’s no season-long champion. It’s winner-take-all in Naples.
Some big names are sweating it out on the bubble:
Minjee Lee, usually a lock for these events, is surprisingly sitting at 56th place. She’s had just four top-10 finishes all year – very un-Minjee-like for a player who’s never finished worse than 16th in points.
Gaby Lopez is currently the first player out, sitting in 61st place. She needs at least a tie for 40th this week to keep her six-year streak of making the finale alive.
Fighting for Their Cards
The pressure isn’t just about making the finale – some players are fighting to keep their LPGA cards for next year.
Georgia Hall, who’s made every Tour Championship since 2017, is now just trying to stay in the top 80 to keep her full playing privileges. She’ll need at least a tie for sixth this week to guarantee her spot.
It’s been an especially tough stretch for Emily Kristine Pedersen. She’s missed seven cuts in her last 15 tournaments and hasn’t finished better than 30th place during that run.
The Last Chance
For players outside the top 100, this week could be their last shot at staying on tour. Rookie Savannah Grewal, who left college mid-season to turn pro, has had a rollercoaster year – including a fourth-place finish and a brutal stretch of nine missed cuts in a row.
Alexandra Forsterling, currently 135th in points, needs nothing short of a miracle – she’ll have to finish at least tied for fifth to have any chance of keeping her card.
The season might be winding down, but for dozens of players, their careers are on the line this week in Florida.
