While the LPGA Tour took the past weekend off, women’s golf didn’t skip a beat. From the razor-close Rolex Award races to the drama of the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the Epson Tour’s sprint for LPGA cards, the action and the storylines just kept building.
2025 Rolex Awards: Rookies Shining Bright Like a Diamond
LPGA Rolex Awards are more than just bling and prestige. They’re evidence of power, consistency, and legacy all packaged nicely into an award winners can wear for a lifetime. Current contests still in play include Rookie and Player of the Year.
Rolex Player of the Year is earned by the LPGA player who accumulates the most Top-10 finishes and the corresponding points. As of now, Jeeno Thitikul holds the lead with 104 points, just ahead of Minjee Lee at 101. Rookie Miyu Yamashita is not only in a two-horse race for Rolex Rookie of the Year, but she is also quietly climbing in the Player of the Year category, sitting at 96 and in striking distance.
Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year is earned by LPGA freshman players who score the most points based on finish position during the season. The award is named after Louise Suggs, one of thirteen LPGA founding members. Miyu Yamashita paces the rookie field with 990 points, currently edging out Rio Takeda at 978, thanks to her AIG Women’s Open victory.
U.S. Women’s Amateur: Megha Ganne’s Storybook Finish
At Bandon Dunes this past weekend, Stanford’s Megha Ganne, a rising senior and member of the 2024 NCAA title team, took home individual honors by beating graduating Michigan State senior Brooke Biermann 4 & 3 to capture the title. It was sweet redemption after seven U.S. Women’s Amateur appearances, including her 2019 semifinal heartbreak at fifteen. The win earns her entry into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open and a spot on the U.S. World Amateur Team.
Even though she fell a little short this past weekend against Ganne, Biermann battled through multiple comeback chances, leaving with momentum for Q-School and a 2026 U.S. Women’s Open invite locked as well. Semifinalists Lyla Louderbaugh and Ella Scaysbrook pushed their matches to the brink, and their poise suggests pro potential ahead.
In a déjà vu end to stroke play, up-and-comer Asterisk Talley and 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur winner Rianne Malixi finished stroke play T1 at -9 looking to repeat their 2024 accomplishments. History was not going to repeat itself, and both Talley and Malixi lost their first competition in match play.
Epson Tour: Racing Toward LPGA Cards
Meanwhile, the Epson Tour is keeping the Race for the Card competitive. Here’s your front-of-the-field snapshot:
- Melanie Green – 1,849 points
- Gina Kim – 1,823 points
- Briana Chacon – 1,661 points
- Laetitia Beck – 1,428 points
- Sophia Schubert – 1,327 points
Who’s Playing Portland (and Why It Matters)
Portland is a full-field, 72-hole stroke-play event at Columbia Edgewater with a $2.0M purse and $300K to the winner. Per the LPGA’s official entries page, confirmed headliners in the field include Haeran Ryu, Jin Young Ko, Hannah Green, Brooke Henderson, Celine Boutier, Lilia Vu, Yuka Saso, Rose Zhang, rookie Rio Takeda, and 1983 Golf Digest Rookie of the Year Juli Inkster. Jeeno Thitikul, Minjee Lee, Nelly Korda, and Lottie Woad are just a few top players not listed among entrants for this weekend.
What that means for this week: with Minjee Lee, Thitikul, Yamashita, and other heavyweights taking a breather, the door in Portland is wider for Ko, Boutier, Henderson, or Ryu to bank a 500-point haul. For Rolex Rookie of the Year, the absence of Yamashita gives Rio Takeda a real chance to tighten that race. Yamashita’s non-appearance is a status check, not a value judgment. Post-travel rest and scheduling around next week’s CPKC and the bigger $4.1M FM Championship purse are valid reasons to center herself and prepare for future success.
Bets Worth a Look for the Coming Weekend
Win/Top-5
- Jin Young Ko — Former Portland champ with elite iron play; track record here is real.
- Celine Boutier — Week-to-week floor is high; tidy tee-to-green game travels.
Top-10 Value
- Brooke Henderson — Two-time back-to-back Portland winner; comfort course bump.
- Hannah Green — Recent form plus accuracy plays at Columbia Edgewater.
- Haeran Ryu — Top-10 form; plenty of scoring upside.
Live Longshots
- Rio Takeda — Rookie race contender, big opportunity with some top stars resting; liking her in the Top 5.
- Lilia Vu — If the irons click, she can jump a leaderboard.
- Yuka Saso — Volatility cuts both ways, but upside is undeniable.
- Rose Zhang — High ceiling, comfort on tree-lined tracks.
From Portland through the CME finale in November, there are 12 point-awarding events remaining. That run includes the upcoming CPKC Women’s Open (Aug 21–24) and the FM Championship (Aug 28–31), and the remaining fall golf events en route to the CME Group Tour Championship. Each affords an opportunity for these athletes to make some sugar and score some Rolex and CME points.
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