This season had about as many fantastic tournaments and finishes as any in recent memory. These are our picks for the best non-major tournaments of 2024:
No. 5 – Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship – The first of many playoffs on this list, the Seri Pak Championship just outside of Los Angeles was a thriller. While the final group with Jiyai Shin and Alison Lee struggled in the final round, especially on the back nine, Americans Ryann O’Toole and Nelly Korda rallied late. O’Toole in particular had a fantastic 66 on Sunday to get into the playoff with Korda. In the end, Korda prevailed in her second win on the season.
No. 4 – Meijer LPGA Classic – The Meijer LPGA Classic included a stacked leaderboard of LPGA stars, which resulted in a three-way playoff between Lexi Thompson, Lilia Vu and Grace Kim. While the tournament was overshadowed by the thrilling U.S. Open on the same day, this was quite the finish. Vu rallied in the final round, shooting a 65 coming fresh off an injury. Competing with Thompson, looking to win in her final season added even further drama. This was one of the longest playoffs of the season, going to three holes before Vu pulled off the win.
No. 3 – CME Group Tour Championship – The CME Group Tour Championship was a great finale to the LPGA season, including two fantastic races. The first was the Vare Trophy, where Ayaka Furue and Haeran Ryu were neck-and-neck, with the result not being clear until Furue’s final hole, when she won. Then it came down to Jeeno Thitikul and Angel Yin for the $4 million prize, which also came down to the final hole. Thitikul went eagle-birdie on the final two holes for the comeback win in regulation.
No. 2 – Toto Japan Classic – Look, this tournament went to six extra holes, that alone puts it toward the top. Add in Rio Takeda winning her first LPGA Tour victory, opening the door to her 2025 rookie season, this tournament gave a lot. Any time you play an extra third of a round will rise this up, plus the added drama that Marina Alex was in the process of planning her retirement, looking for one final win, this was a terrific event despite the rain-canceled third round.
No. 1 – LPGA Drive on Championship – The LPGA season couldn’t get off to a more fitting start in the second tournament of the year. Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda were the story of the year, and they were right there squaring off in a playoff in Bradenton. Korda needed a miracle at the finish to have a chance to win in her hometown, and she got just that. Korda went eagle-birdie on her final two holes to force a playoff. Korda’s masterful short game came in handy in extra holes, where a fantastic chip led to her winning on the second playoff hole, preventing Ko from gaining membership in the LPGA Hall of Fame for the moment.
