"The Starter" recaps the week gone by in golf. PGA Professional Brendon Elliott, a three-decade industry veteran, provides his insights for RG. In this installment, LPGA season-ending stats and awards; a look at the 2025 Season.
Last Friday, I reviewed some of the most interesting final statistics from the 2024 PGA TOUR season, and today, I want to shift the focus to the women of professional golf. As someone who naturally gravitates towards statistics, both as a coach and a fan of the game, I find them invaluable. In my coaching, I often rely on professional game statistics to establish a baseline for the competitive teen golfers I work with. As a fan, I enjoy analyzing these statistics to break down weekly events and identify players who are trending and excelling in the professional circuit.
Now that the final statistics for the 2024 LPGA TOUR season have been compiled, it’s a perfect time to recognize the year's standout players in key areas. Each statistical category reflects hard work, strategic play, and impressive talent.
Interesting LPGA Tour Stats in 2024
Scoring Average (Tour Average 71.82)
- Jeeno Thitikul 69.33
- Nelly Korda 69.56
- Ayaka Furue 69.99
- Haeran Ryu 70.00
- Ruoning Yin 70.10
Wins
- Nelly Korda 7
- Lydia Ko 3
- Hannah Green 3
- Ruoning Yin 3
- Lauren Coughlin 2
- Jeeno Thitikul 2
Top 10’s
- Haeran Ryu 13
- Jeeno Thitikul 12
- Ayaka Furue 12
- Nelly Korda 11
- Brooke Henderson 9
- Lauren Coughlin 8
- Lydia Ko 8
- Hye-Jin Choi 8
Money Leaders
- Jeeno Thitikul $6,059,309 (New single-season record)
- Nelly Korda $4,391,930
- Lydia Ko $3,201,289
- Yuka Saso $2,867,618
- Haeran Ryu $2,814,903
Strokes Gained Overall
- Nelly Korda 2.41
- Jeeno Thitikul 2.30
- Lydia Ko 1.93
- Ayaka Furue 1.90
- Haeran Ryu 1.89
Greens in Regulation Percentage (Tour Average 67.90%)
- Jeeno Thitikul 77.20%
- Haeran Ryu 76.80%
- Nelly Korda 76.02%
- Mao Saigo 75.70%
- Lauren Coughlin 74.47%
Fairways in Regulation Percentage (Tour Average 71.94%)
- Allisen Corpuz 84.77%
- Marina Alex 84.48%
- Megan Khang 84.43%
- Hyo Joo Kim 82.96%
- Ayaka Furue 82.83%
Driving Distance Average (Tour Average 259.29 yards)
- Natthakritta Vongtaveelap 290.61 yards
- Kaitlin Milligan 287.37 yards
- Polly Mack 284.40 yards
- Laura Wearn 280.04 yards
- Maria Fassi 276.88 yards
Strokes Gained Off The Tee
| # | Name | Strokes Gained Off The Tee | Fairway in Regulation | Driving Distance |
| 1 | Daniela Darquea | 0.89 | 61.79% | 261.80 yards |
| 2 | Natthakritta Vongtaveelap | 0.84 | 55.44% | 290.61 yards |
| 3 | Nelly Korda | 0.72 | 75.75% | 269.79 yards |
| Polly Mack | 0.72 | 62.85% | 284.40 yards | |
| 4 | Charley Hull | 0.70 | 72.60% | 271.81 yards |
| Kaitlin Milligan | 0.70 | 61.54% | 287.37 yards |
Strokes Gained Around the Green
- Hyo Joo Kim 0.43
- Patty Tavatanakit 0.38
- Yue Ren 0.38
- Kristen Gillman 0.35
- Alexa Pano 0.35
Scrambling (Up and Down) (Tour Average 55.00%)
- Ayaka Furue 66.43%
- Lydia Ko 66.51%
- Lilia Vu 64.80%
- Lindsey Weaver-Wright 64.71%
- Narin An 64.09%
Sand Saves (Tour Average 42.65%)
- Yuna Nishimura 62.24%
- Narin An 61.80%
- Sei Young Kim 59.04%
- Maude-Aimee Leblanc 58.33%
- Aditi Ashok 58.06%
Putts Per Green (Tour Average 1.81)
- Jeeno Thitikul 1.75
- Lydia Ko 1.76
- Hyo Joo Kim 1.76
- Nelly Korda 1.76
- Sei Young Kim 1.76
- Jin Young Ko 1.76
- Hannah Green 1.76
- Natthakritta Vongtaveelap 1.76
Putts Per Round (Tour Average 30.09)
- Sandra Gal 28.64
- Yue Ren 28.76
- Danielle Kang 28.84
- Pavarisa Yoktuan 28.98
- Jin Young Ko 29.05
Low Rounds
- Lucy Li 60
- Linnea Strom 60
- Jasmine Suwannapura 61
- Hannah Green 61
- Mao Saigo 61
- Arpichaya Yubol 61
Rounds in the ’60s (Tour Average 16)
- Ayaka Furue 40
- Haeran Ryu 39
- Mao Saigo 37
- Nelly Korda 36
- Jin Hee Im 35
Nelly Korda is the 2024 Player of the Year, Mao Saigo Grabs Rookie of the Year Honors
It was a banner year for World #1, Nelly Korda, as she claimed both the CME Globe crown and the LPGA Tour Player of the Year honors. Racking up 280 points in the Player of the Year race, Nelly, on the strength of her seven wins on the year, was dominant. The next closest player in the POY race was Lydia Ko, with 153 points.
Rookie Mao Saigo was awarded the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year. Saigo, the 33rd-ranked player in the world, made 24 cuts in 29 starts with seven top 10’s. Although Saigo will still be searching for her first LPGA Tour win in 2025, she made her presence known in 2024. She ranked first on Tour with sub-par rounds, racking up 64 out of the 103 she teed it up in, which was also the top on Tour.
Brendon Elliott, a distinguished PGA Professional, is best known for his dedication to the growth and development of junior golf. With nearly three decades of experience, Elliott has been recognized multiple times as one of the best instructors, both regionally and nationally.
Elliott's crowning achievement was being named the 2017 PGA of America National Youth Player Development Award Winner, a testament to his exceptional skills and dedication. He is the founder of Little Linksters, an award-winning youth golf academy and nonprofit that works with kids of all abilities to help them develop a passion for golf. His innovative teaching methods and love for the game have made significant impacts on students and the broader golfing community.
Additionally, Brendon, a Golf Writers Association of America member, has become a renowned freelance golf writer, further solidifying his position as a top professional in the industry.
