Meet the LPGA award winners from a busy 2023 season.
NAPLES, Fla. — While Amy Yang took home the title and biggest check of the week – $2 million – there was plenty more on the line at the LPGA’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
Lilia Vu, the player who seemingly came out of nowhere to own 2023, put a bow on several more accolades after clinching the Rolex Annika Major Award earlier this season. A two-time major winner this season, Vu won her first tournament of the year in Thailand and kept on going.
“Last year I played golf with a lot of worry,” she said. “I just was worried about everything.”
Not anymore.
Here’s a look at how the LPGA’s season-long awards shook out in sunny Naples, Florida:
NAPLES, Fla. – Amy Yang battles something she calls “ego talk.” It’s the stuff she tells herself that gets in the way when the pressure is on. She dealt with it early on Sunday at the CME Group Tour Championship, when she doubted herself and wondered if the day would end with just another close call.
This time, however, Yang shut down that ego talk.
“This is very meaningful,” said Yang in her new bright blue blazer, the CME trophy by her side and a $2 million cardboard check somewhere nearby.
Yang, 34, stayed strong down the stretch mentally at Tiburon Golf Club, where she holed out for eagle on the 13th hole and birdied the last two to win by three over Alison Lee and Nasa Hataoka. It was Yang’s first LPGA title since 2019, her fifth overall, and her first on U.S. soil.
Amy Yang of Korea celebrates with the CME Globe trophy and her check during the trophy ceremony after winning the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 19, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
For Lee, finishing runner-up in her last three LPGA events felt bittersweet. While she’s playing the best golf of her life, that elusive first LPGA victory remains out of reach.
Good friend Megan Khang, who finally broke through with her first victory earlier this year at the CPKC Women’s Open in her 191st career start, sat in on Lee’s post-round press conference.
“This isn’t really a question,” said Khang as she took the mic, “but as a friend, I am a proud of you. You’ve been playing so good, Alison. It’s coming.”
An emotional Lee, who made her 179th career start at the CME, has credited new friend Fred Couples with helping instill the confidence she’s felt in recent months, noting that he texts her daily with words of encouragement.
“So many times I would joke around saying I’m just never going to win out here,” said Lee, who was a standout amateur player at UCLA before turning professional. “I really didn’t think I could ever do it.
“But to play the last three weeks just continuously putting the pressure on everyone on the leaderboard and putting myself in contention has just been really cool for me and been a really awesome experience.”
It wasn’t long ago that Yang, who suffered from tennis elbow after too much rock climbing, wondered if her career might come to an end earlier than expected. She also wondered how much longer she wanted to keep grinding through tour life.
Longtime coach Tony Ziegler told her life’s too short to keep playing if she wasn’t happy. She needed to make a decision.
Two weeks later, Yang came back and told him that she wanted to keep playing and she wanted to win. Ziegler repeated what he’s said to her often in recent years: “Your best golf is ahead of you.”
“Back in the day,” said Ziegler, “when she played really good golf, she had a lot of pressure and expectation, and she didn’t know how to deal with it.
“As she’s gotten older, she knows how to deal with it.”
The woman who had a smiley face stitched on the front of her visors beamed after that final-round 66. She finished at 27-under 261 for the tournament, shattering the event’s previous record by four shots.
For a long time, Yang was always in the best-to-never-win-a-major conversation on the LPGA. With 21 top-10 finishes at the majors, including two top 5s this season, she mostly flies under the radar at big events now.
“She’s just at ease with herself, no pressure, no expectation,” said Ziegler. “Basically playing for herself.”
Yang enjoyed a champagne bath on the 18th green after many of her friends came out to celebrate. Even before the injury, a burned-out Yang wondered if it might be best to retire. In time, she learned how to create a more balanced life, and wrapped up her 16th season on tour looking like a woman who has more time to shine.
“You know,” said Yang, “I still can’t believe I did it.”
The winningest French player in LPGA history, Boutier now has four titles this season, including a major.
Celine Boutier survived a marathon nine-hole playoff at the Maybank Championship, ultimately defeating Atthaya Thitikul with 6-foot birdie putt. The winningest French player in LPGA history, Boutier now has four titles this season, including a major.
“I knew she wasn’t going to make a mistake,” said Boutier, “so I had to go for it and give myself the best chances for birdies.”
The playoff, which included a 90-minute storm delay, is the 12th on tour this season. Boutier also claimed her first victory of the season in overtime, defeating Solheim Cup partner Georgia Hall at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain in Arizona.
The longest playoff in LPGA history came in 1972 at the Corpus Christi Civitan Open when Jo Ann Prentice defeated Sandra Palmer and Kathy Whitworth in 10 holes. At the 2012 Kingsmill Championship, Jiyai Shin took down Paula Creamer in nine extra holes, with the final hole coming Monday morning.
“It’s exhausting,” said Thitikul of the steamy overtime. “It’s pretty tiring, to be honest. But I think it’s the best playoff I ever had in my life.”
Celine Boutier of France and Atthaya Thitikul walk on the 18th fairway in a playoff eighth hole during the final round of the Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club on October 29, 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
American Rose Zhang held the lead going into the final round, but her closing 71 put her in a share of third with early leader Jasmine Suwannapura.
“I think for me, it’s just important to understand what my routine is,” said Zhang of her takeaways on the week, “and I realized what’s been working for me, what I have to work on. Short game definitely much-needed practice. Almost felt like I was yipping it out there.
“But I really just am really happy that I have those kind of improving points to work on. Kind of makes me hopeful for whatever is to come.”
Boutier surged up the board with a bogey-free 64 on Sunday to finish at 21 under for the tournament. Thitikul shot 68 in the final round at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club to match her.
“Coming into the day, it was a long shot,” said Boutier. “I was quite a few shots back, and I also knew this course was pretty scorable, so I wasn’t sure what the leaders are going to be like, but I was just trying to focus on my own game and make as many birdies as I could and just see at the end.”
This marked the LPGA’s first tournament in Malaysia since 2017 and the purse of $3 million is one of the largest on tour among non-majors. Boutier earned $450,000 for her victory, bringing her season total to $2,730,340.
Thitikul climbed her way into position with a sensational 62 on Saturday that included a back-nine 30. Winless so far this season, the Thai sensation started trending in the right direction with a share of second earlier this month at the Ascendant LPGA in Texas. Last week she tied for fifth in South Korea.
Boutier now has more titles than anyone on tour this season, with World No. 1 Lilia Vu coming second with three. Over the summer, Boutier collected her first major on home soil at the Amundi Evian Championship. The victory in Malaysia moves her atop the LPGA Player of the Year standings, three points ahead of Vu. There are three events left on the LPGA schedule this season.
Boutier next heads to her U.S. home in Dallas to prepare for the last two events of the season in Florida. When asked what’s been clicking for her of late, the former Duke star pointed to her approach shots.
“Not just today, actually, just the whole week,” she said, “I had a lot of tap-ins for birdies and good birdie chances, and I feel like my putter started getting better and better each round, so that definitely helped to score better today.”
Some of the biggest names in the women’s game headed home early at Baltusrol.
SPRINGFIELD, New Jersey — Some of the biggest names in the women’s game headed home early at Baltusrol. Nelly Korda and Atthaya Thitikul missed the cut by a mile in the first women’s major held over the Lower Course since 1961.
“You hit it a little sideways off the tee and that’s what happens on a golf course like this,” said Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis, who will play the weekend.
“It’s that chipping out and having to constantly be getting up and down from 100 yards, it’s exhausting.”
Lexi Thompson looked poised to miss the weekend as she was outside the top 100 early on Friday, but then came roaring back with four consecutive birdies near the end of her round to sneak in at 4 over. Given how little both Thompson and Korda have played this season, Lewis said she wouldn’t have put any money on them.
Korda took a month off with an injury, and Thompson has played in only five previous LPGA events this season, including the Hanwha International Crown.
“That’s going to be my encouraging words that come later this fall,” said Lewis, “that they play some more tournaments heading into Solheim.”
Team USA clinched third place with a victory over Sweden in the consolation match.
Team Thailand enjoyed a near-perfect week at the 2023 Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown, dropping only one match over the course of four days.
Former World No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn chipped in to close out the final match against Australia on Sunday, a fitting end for the dominate foursome that went 11-1-0 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
Ariya Jutanugarn, currently No. 83 in the world, looked more like her old self, a two-time major champion, playing alongside sister Moriya. She oozed with confidence and putted beautifully as the sisters were undefeated in both four-ball and foursomes.
Thailand, seeded No. 6, swept No. 7 Australia in the final match, which consisted of two singles matches and, for the first time in event history, one foursomes match. It marked the first time these two countries had advanced to the finals in the fourth edition of the Crown.
Patty Tavatanakit defeated Aussie Hannah Green, 4 and 3, while Atthaya Thitikul dusted Stephanie Kyriacou, 4 and 2. The Jutanugarn sisters birdied four consecutive holes in alternate shot midway through the round to take control.
“I was one of those kids,” said Patty Tavatanakit. “I looked up to the (Jutanugarn) sisters and to be able to play alongside them this week has been a dream come true and also an honor.
“I’m just so excited to see where Thailand’s golf is heading to in the future.”
Ariya Jutanugarn earned the event’s inaugural MVP award. The last time the Jutanugarns won on the LPGA was two years ago at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational.
Only the youngest player on the team, Atthaya Thitikul, 20, came into the event in world-class form. Perhaps this week is the spark needed for the rest to get back in the winner’s circle. To reach the final match, Thailand knocked out Team USA in the semifinals.
“I’m going to say we’ve been waiting for this since 2014,” said Ariya, “and finally we got what we’ve been waiting for.”
Prior to this week, Australia’s best finish in the event was sixth in 2018.
Team USA clinched third place with a 2-1 victory over Sweden in the consolation match. Lexi Thompson defeated Maja Stark 3 and 2 and singles, while the Danielle Kang/Nelly Korda duo knocked out Anna Nordqvist/Carolina Hedwall. Madelene Sagstrom did earn Sweden a point after beating Lilia Vu 5 and 4.
“Having team events like this,” said Thompson, “I think, brings a wider fan base for us. I think fans really enjoy it, and I think there’s a lot more energy out here and people cheering and things like that. We got big crowds today.”
This marked the first playing of the Crown, which is meant to be a biennial event, since 2018. The 2025 venue has yet to be announced.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Angel Yin remembers vividly a practice round she had with Cristie Kerr several years ago at an LPGA Drive On event in Georgia.
“She was walking after she hit a tee shot off a practice round, and she was like, ‘I’m four days away from people knowing I’m back,'” said Yin.
“That’s the confidence. Every day I tell myself that: ‘Just channel your Cristie Kerr.'”
Yin hasn’t yet won on the LPGA and co-leads the 2023 Chevron Championship with Allisen Corpuz, another American player looking for her first LPGA victory at the year’s first major. The third-round leaderboard at the Club at Carlton Woods is littered with players looking for a break-through week – whether that’s a first-time LPGA victory or a maiden major win.
Only a trio in a share of sixth know what it’s like to win a major – Nelly Korda, Hyo Joo Kim and A Lim Kim, who won her first major down the road in Houston at the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open at Champion Golf Club.
“I think it’s totally different than Mission Hills,” Atthaya Thitikul said.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — If everything is bigger in Texas, the property here at The Club at Carlton Woods is no exception. Everything from the clubhouse to the buildout to the Inspiration Dome, an enormous golf-ball lookalike structure that houses, among other things, virtual reality golf, is oversized at the Chevron Championship’s new home.
Players report that the golf course feels big too, with the official yardage coming in at 6,824. It likely won’t play that long, however, as the week progresses and tees move up, but by accounts the Nicklaus Course will present a proper challenge, though nothing similar to what players faced for decades at Mission Hills Country club.
“I think just the way it makes you think,” said Georgia Hall. “You have to think a little bit more around this golf course … mostly on the greens. In Palm Springs, I thought it was quite simple to read the greens, no grain at all, but now we have the grain, I heard it’s going to be a little bit windy, as well, and a lot of factors come into play.”
Those who are familiar and confident on Bermudagrass certainly hold the advantage.
There’s a pair of Thai players on top of the leaderboard in Thailand. One of them has been No. 1 in the world. The other is leading by four while playing on a sponsor exemption.
Twenty-year-old Natthakritta Vongtaveelap shot 8-under 64 on Saturday to increase her lead to four shots over reigning LPGA rookie of the year Atthaya Thitikul with 18 holes to play at the Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club. Vongtaveelap, who got into the field after winning a national qualifier earlier this year, is one round away from a life-changing victory in her first LPGA start.
“Really good today,” she said of Saturday’s round. “Perfect.”
Vongtaveelap turned professional last November after advancing through the first two stages of LPGA Q-School. She earned LPGA membership for 2023 after finishing in a tie for 28th at LPGA Q-Series.
Her third round started with an eagle and she closed with three consecutive birdies. Vongtaveelap has only two bogeys on the week. She said the Thai crowds have been extremely supportive.
“I try to be myself, be with the game, and I think I can make it,” she said.
Thitikul matched Vontaveelap with a round of 64. Celine Boutier is in third at 15 under. World No. 1 Lydia Ko and No. 2 Nelly Korda are at 13 under and T-7.
Without further ado, the 2022 Golfweek Award winner for Best Female Player of the Year goes to …
Heading into the 2022 season, fans were eager to see Nelly Korda and Jin Young Ko build upon the rivalry that emerged in 2021. While health issues for both players kept that from materializing, a host of new winners kept the season fresh, as 11 players broke through to win for the first time.
Chief among those was Atthaya Thitikul, the rookie who rose to No. 1 in the world.
When it came to who had the best season in golf, however, the discussion at the table among staff was fairly short. It wasn’t a new face who impressed the most, but rather one who hadn’t been in such a position in a long, long time.
Without further ado, the 2022 Golfweek Award winner for Best Female Player of the Year goes to …
Don’t be surprised if a handful of rising stars step into the spotlight in 2023.
Three of the four major champions on the men’s side in 2022 were first-time winners. As for the women? Two of five.
That got us thinking, who is most likely to add a major championship to their resumes for the first time in 2023? Several writers on Golfweek‘s staff have made their picks, some surprising, some not so much.
Men’s 2023 major venues: Augusta National Golf Club (Masters), Oak Hill Country Club (PGA Championship), Los Angeles Country Club (U.S. Open) and Royal Liverpool (Open Championship).
Women’s 2023 major venues: The Club at Carlton Woods (Chevron Championship), Baltusrol (KPMG PGA Championship), Pebble Beach Golf Links (U.S. Women’s Open), Evian Resort Golf Club (Evian Championship) and Walton Heath Golf Club (AIG Women’s Open).
