Two-time major winner still has long-shot chance at Player of the Year
Two LPGA majors in one season, plus a third major on the KLPGA, would typically be enough to collect all the year-round accolades.
In an unexpected turn of events at the BMW Championship, South Korean golfer Haeran Ryu narrowly missed a chance to secure her fifth win of the season due to a closing bogey on the 72nd hole. Despite this setback, Ryu's impressive season, which includes two LPGA major wins and a third major on the KLPGA, has kept her in contention for the prestigious Rolex LPGA Player of the Year award.
Nelly Korda, with four victories this year, including the Chevron and U.S. Women's Open, remains the frontrunner for the award, currently leading by 63 points. Ryu needs to narrow the gap to 60 points after Malaysia's event to still have a shot at the title. With two remaining starts, including the Annika driven Gainbridge at Pelican and CME Group Tour Championship, Ryu still has opportunities to climb the rankings.
Ryu's scoring average of 69.44 places her second in the Vare Trophy race, trailing Korda, while Japan's Miyu Yamashita sits in third at 69.64. Ryu's impressive season is characterized by her exceptional ball-striking, as evidenced by her greens in regulation average of 79.87, surpassing the all-time record of 79.74 set by Annika Sorenstam in 2002.
No LPGA player has ever maintained an 80 percent or higher greens in regulation average, making this achievement particularly noteworthy.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
