A U.S. player hasn’t won the Rookie of the Year Award since Paula Creamer in 2005.
This year’s rookie class of 26 players represents 12 countries, highlighting the global nature of the LPGA.
One of the most well-known rookies of the 2024 class is former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Gabriela Ruffels, who many thought would be a veteran by now were it not for a paperwork error. The Aussie topped the Epson Tour’s money list to earn her card.
There are plenty of players who have won multiple titles on their home tours in this year’s class, including a teen from China.
The Class of 2024 includes only five Americans: Gurleen Kaur, Auston Kim, Kaitlin Milligan, Malia Nam and Gigi Still. A U.S. player hasn’t won the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award since Paula Creamer in 2005.
Here are a dozen LPGA rookies to keep an eye on in 2023:
Auston Kim vaults into top 10 to earn 2024 LPGA card after winning 2023 Epson Tour Championship.
Auston Kim needed some fireworks at the Epson Tour Championship to secure an LPGA card for 2024. She shot 7-under 29 on the front nine to get the sparks flying, and then made birdie on the final hole to win by two and vault into the top 10 on the money list.
“We talked all year about if we do the right things, if I create good habits, it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” said Kim, who entered the week No. 15 on the money list and ended it No. 3.
When the Tour Championship kicked off Thursday, three players had already clinched their LPGA cards for 2024: Gabriela Ruffels, Natasha Andrea Oon and Jiwon Jeon.
When the dust settled in Daytona Beach, Florida, eight of the 10 players who entered the week in the top 10 maintained their spots. Becca Huffer (No. 9) and Jenny Bae (No. 10) were the two who dropped out.
Huffer ultimately finished 11th on the money list, with $1,700 less than Kristen Gillman. The 33-year-old Huffer tied for 12th at the Tour Championship and closed with a 65.
A total of nine players broke the $100,000 mark in season earnings, five more than any other year in the developmental tour’s history.
Find out more about the card winners for the 2023 Epson Tour season:
With the championship field set, the race for the ANNIKA Award is starting to heat up. A handful of players have made their case throughout the season as front-runners for the ANNIKA Award, which honors the player of the year in women’s college golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media.
The players are listed alphabetically. Players on the ANNIKA Award Watch List were selected by a panel of Golfweek and Golf Channel writers.
This year’s Chevron field includes amateurs Natasha Andrea Oon, Brooke Seay, Bohyun Park, and Gurleen Kaur.
Four amateurs will take part in the historic last major at Mission Hills Country Club. Amateurs have long held an important presence in the year’s first major, though less so after the Chevron Championship started going up against the Augusta National Women’s Amateur three years ago.
This year’s Chevron field includes amateurs Natasha Andrea Oon, Brooke Seay, Bohyun Park, and Gurleen Kaur.
Malaysia’s Oon, ranked 10th by Golfweek and 17th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, is a senior at San Jose State. In seven events this season, the Spartans have finished outside the top two just once and have twice toppled top-ranked Stanford.
Park, a freshman at Texas, is ranked 39th by WAGR. Born in South Korea, Park has lived in the U.S. since age 13 and was a three-time Texas 4A individual state champion.
Brooke Seay plays a bunker shot on the sixth hole during the quarterfinals at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York. on Friday, August 6, 2021. (Darren Carroll/USGA)
Stanford’s Seay, a junior from San Diego, is a human biology major in Palo Alto. Seay has three top-five finishes in her last three starts for the Cardinal and is ranked 11th by Golfweek.
Kaur, a senior at Baylor, is a three-time All-American. Coached by major champion Hal Sutton, Kaur made the cut at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club. The Houston resident is ranked 81st by WAGR.
Michelle Wie and Caroline Keggi boast the record for lowest finish by an amateur, placing fourth in 2004 and 1988, respectively. Rose Zhang holds the record for the lowest 72-hole score by an amateur at 8-under 280, set in 2020. The Stanford star will compete in Augusta next week.
The 2023 Chevron Championship will move to May and be held in Texas. The venue has not yet been announced.
