By: Max Bechtoldt
In this edition, we have four players to breakdown, as we make our way closer to the medal stand and into the top five. We are into some of the heaviest hitters on the LPGA Tour. Bonafide superstar tour as today we have not just one, but four two-time major champions.
7. Brooke Henderson – Canada – It seems unfathomable that Brooke Henderson hasn’t medaled for team Canada in her two Olympic appearances. I would argue no golfer is more associated with their country, men’s or women’s, than Henderson is with Canada. Henderson has been really good this season too, though she hasn’t won yet, she does have seven top 10s this season, including at her home event a couple weeks ago. The 13-time winner, two-time major champion, should be a good bet to hit the medal stand.
6. Jin Young Ko – South Korea – While Jin Young Ko got off to a slow start in 2024, she has gotten back to her spot as one of the best players in the world. In 11 starts this season, Ko is still looking for her first win, but she does have four top-10s plus two more 12th place finishes. While she didn’t give a great performance in her last start at Evian, she did have three consecutive top-12s before that, including a runner-up finish in the KPMG Women’s PGA. The likely future Hall of Famer hasn’t had her best stuff over the last year, but even lesser game Jin Young Ko is elite.
5. Lydia Ko – New Zealand – Nobody in modern Olympic golf, either men or women, has won two Olympic medals other than Lydia. Ko won silver in 2016 and then lost the silver medal playoff in Tokyo, placing her in the bronze position. Gold is the only one missing. While nobody plays as well in the Olympics as Ko, the course itself gives me some pause. Le Golf National punished players who were erratic off the tee in the men’s competition. Ko does traditionally struggle off the tee, not having finished in the top 100 of driving accuracy on Tour since 2017. Ko does get out of trouble as well as anyone, but it still is a concern. A win would give Ko, who has one win in 2024, a spot in the LPGA Tour Hall-of-Fame. Recent form, especially a couple weeks ago in Canada, has been solid enough to give her a good chance.
4. Lilia Vu – USA – When Lilia Vu is healthy, she is without a doubt one of the four best players on the planet. The No. 2 ranked player in the world has looked impressive since returning from an injury that made her miss some time early in the season. In the four tournaments since her return, she has finished in the top-30 every time, has a win against a strong field at Meijer and a runner-up in a major at the KPMG. It feels like the 2023 LPGA Tour Player of the Year has a chance to really take the next step into superstar status to casual fans with a win here, a bit like Korda did in Tokyo.
