By: Max Bechtoldt
Yesterday we took a look at the Presidents Cup being a mixed event between the stars of the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour, but what about if the LPGA had their own event that pitted the best of the United States against the best of every non-European country? What would that International Team look like? I take a stab at it here, with the caveat that I would put a limit of four players per country. The top six automatic qualifiers are based on Rolex Rankings, then I will act as the captain to determine the final six.
Lydia Ko – New Zealand
If not for Nelly Korda’s early season dominance, Ko would be on her way to a third LPGA Tour Player of the Year award. She won her third major championship at the AIG Women’s Open, her third Olympic medal, this time gold, in Paris and has two additional LPGA Tour wins on the season.
Ruoning Yin – China
It would be unfair to Ruoning Yin to say she is a star of the future on the LPGA Tour, because with three wins including a major, Yin’s time is here. Yin is one of the best ball strikers on Tour and has a well-rounded game that would make her likely a pretty easy player to pair.
Jin Young Ko – Korea
Jin Young Ko may not have a win in 2024, a season that she hasn’t played in much mostly because of injury, but when she has played she has been the type of player we are used to seeing. Ko has five top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour this season including two runner-ups.
Ayaka Furue – Japan
Because of how the schedule worked out, Furue didn’t qualify for the Paris Olympics. Despite winning a major championship and being one of the most consistent players on the tour, she was left off the team. She won’t be left off here though.
Hannah Green – Australia
Early in the season, it looked like the race for LPGA Tour Player of the Year would be between Nelly Korda and Hannah Green. Alas, a weaker second half of the season has taken some of the wind out of the sails of the 27-year-old Aussie. Regardless, she still has two wins and a runner-up finish in 2024.
Amy Yang – Korea
If not for being the last automatic qualifier here, I’m not sure Yang would find a place on this team. Yang got her long awaited first-career major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and won the CME Championship in 2023, so her world ranking reflects a different player than we have seen through most of this season.
Haeran Ryu – Korea
While Lauren Coughlin probably has the title of breakout star on the LPGA Tour in 2024, Ryu is a close second. Ryu has been the face of consistency, with 10 top-10 finishes in just 21 starts, and a win at the FM Championship last month. Ryu appears to be the future face of Korean women’s golf.
Jeeno Thitikul – Thailand
I don’t think there is a player who more clearly represents the future of women’s golf than Jeeno Thitikul from Thailand. In her three seasons on tour, she has 10 more top-10 finishes than any other player, along with three wins. She would also pair terrifically with Ruoning Yin, with whom she won the Dow Championship in 2024.
Minjee Lee – Australia
While Minjee Lee has struggled mightily in 2024, she still is arguably a top-five player of the last 10 years on tour. She has 10 LPGA Tour wins with two major championship titles and is one of the greatest iron players to ever play professional golf.
Brooke Henderson – Canada
Brooke Henderson surprisingly is a lot lower on the Rolex Rankings than many would expect at No. 22. While she hasn’t won since early 2023, she still consistently puts up good results, with seven top-10 finishes in 19 starts. She, like Lee, gets here a lot on respect for her career and experience in big moments.
Yuka Saso – Japan
I have to give respect to Saso being a 2024 major champion, after winning her second U.S. Women’s Open of her career. Saso has been inconsistent all year, but when she is on, it is hard to find a more well-rounded golfer. She can smash it with the driver and pull off magic around the greens.
Xiyu Lin – China
Once again, I will give respect to someone who won an Olympic medal in Paris with the final spot. While Xiyu Lin somehow has never won an LPGA Tour event, she is almost definitely the best player not to have one yet. This year, Lin has made 14 cuts and had four top-10 finishes in 18 events played.
