By: Max Bechtoldt
On this new edition of the Olympic power rankings, we have three fantastic players on the LPGA Tour. This is where the ranking really begins to split hairs as we reach the best players in the world.
19. Xiyu Lin – China – Xiyu Lin by some madness has still never won an event on the LPGA Tour. She has won three times on the LET, including against a strong field in Hong Kong in 2023, and has been close to tasting LPGA victory too many times to count. Lin has four top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour this season, but some recent inconsistency, missing two of her last three cuts, does have me a bit concerned about her Olympic hopes.
18. Hyo Joo Kim – South Korea – I have enough faith in Hyo Joo Kim to perform well that it does overshadow a very underwhelming season. Kim has two top-10 finishes with two missed cuts in a season where she hasn’t played a whole lot. Her recent results do give me some hope for her, finishing top 20 in each of her last two events, both majors. The major champion, and six-time LPGA Tour winner has the game to win at any time, especially if her putter is strong.
17. Amy Yang – South Korea – The most recent major champion that is in the field comes in at 16. While she does have that big win at the KPMG Women’s PGA that got her in this event, her other recent play has been erratic to say the least. Yang has missed the cut in four of her last seven events, and her best finish aside from that win was still outside the top 25. While she can put on a show when her game shows up, the inconsistent play keeps her lower than her No. 4 world ranking would usually warrant.
