The time has come, with just two weeks to go until the first tee shot of the LPGA Tour season is hit, take a look at some of the players who could see a big comeback in 2026:
No. 5 – Ruoning Yin – Yin didn’t play a lot in 2025, but when she did she was still relatively consistent. Yin made 14 cuts in 16 starts and had three top-10 finishes. She also finished strong with a pair of top 20s to end off the season. There’s nothing particularly wrong with her game, you’d just like to see her at the top of the leaderboard a lot more often as opposed to her results in 2025 which were largely in the 20-40 range. She did have back-to-back runner-up finishes at Chevron and in Utah, but expect her to be in contention more this season.
No. 4 – Nelly Korda – It feels a bit foolish to put Korda here, who finished No. 5 in the CME Standings in 2025, making every cut and finishing in the top 10 nine times. But, for a player who has won as much as Korda, it is all about the wins, which she had none of in 2025. Do not expect that to continue in the new year, as statistically, it was a complete anomaly. There are still things to work on, she had some driving inconsistency in the middle of the year and her timely putting is weak, but its a safe bet to say she wins multiple trophies in 2026.
No. 3 – Rose Zhang – While Rose Zhang will still likely have a bit of a wonky schedule, there were signs in her game in the late portions of 2025 that could point to good trends in this new season. Zhang made just 7/14 cuts and had only two top-10 finishes in 2025, but she had three top-25 finishes in her last five starts, including a top five in Boston. If Zhang can stay relatively healthy, there is no reason she can’t return to her spot as one of the top Americans in the world.
No. 2 – Jin Young Ko – This feels like a big season for Ko, the two-time LPGA Tour Player of the Year and one of the best of her generation. Ko was fine in 2025, making 15/20 cuts with four top-10 finishes, but for the second year in a row went winless. It is hard to imagine that continuing here. Ko had some good moments late in the year despite a very light schedule, and is still a player that consistently shows well in major championships, where she had two top-15 finishes in 2025.
No. 1 – Lilia Vu – When Lilia Vu is even remotely healthy, she is still one of the best players in the world. Now, health has of course been the story of her last two seasons. In 2024 she was still putting in good results with a win and four top-10 finishes, including two runner-ups in major championships. In 2025, the wheels came off a bit. Vu made just eight cuts in 19 starts and her ball striking numbers completely cratered. Her one top-10 finish though was a near win in Arizona, where she lost in a playoff. She is still one of the best putters in the world, which should always give her a chance.
