By: Max Bechtoldt
It is time for the Cognizant Founders Cup, a week meant to celebrate the history of women’s golf, and the players that paved the way for the stars of today. Here are the top five players I think are most likely to win this week:
No. 5. Minjee Lee – It can be a bit tricky picking Minjee Lee right now with the form her game is in. Lee is on the worst stretch we’ve seen from her in the last five years, her last stroke play made cut was in early March. Regardless, Lee is a two-time major winner and 10-time winner on tour who seemingly never gets too down, and this is a good week to turn her season around. It’s a course she’s had success on in the last two years, and should bring good vibes.
No. 4. Atthaya Thitikul – While she had a tough time in the weather delayed third round of the Chevron Championship, the performance in the first two rounds showed that there is little reason for worry when it comes to Thitikul’s game coming off injury. Thitikul has played well here before, with top-10 finishes in both 2022 and 2023, and an extra few weeks for recovery could do only good things for the No. 11 player in the world.
No. 3. Haeran Ryu – Haeran Ryu has shown throughout this 2024 season that she is here to stay after her 2023 Rookie of the Year title. Ryu is ranked No. 7 in the CME Standings and has posted three top-10 finishes in a row coming into this week. The Founders Cup in 2023 was her first top-five finish on tour, and I would expect that success to continue into this week.
No. 2. Jin Young Ko – It certainly has been a relatively slow start to the season for Ko’s standards, but it quietly has also been solid. In just four starts this year she has put together three top-20 finishes including two top 10s. She is coming off her best finish of the season at the JM Eagle LA Championship, and the final round was her best round of the year. Ko is returning to a course where she has won before, and I would say it is a safe bet that she performs well again.
No. 1. Nelly Korda – No surprise here, how could it not be Korda? She has thoroughly dominated the tour this season in a way not seen since the days of Annika Sörenstam. Her stats are absolutely absurd, she leads in strokes gained tee-to-green and strokes gained around the green. While her putting stats won’t blow anyone away, her clutch putting has never been stronger. She’s won five tournaments in a row, and who would bet against her to go for six? Not me.
