The Move of the Week belongs to Gaby Lopez, who jumped 18 spots in the world with her tie for fourth at the HSBC Women's World Championship, moving from No. 77 to No. 59 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings.

At 31 years old, Lopez has 27 career top-10 finishes, including three victories, with her first win coming at the Blue Bay LPGA in 2018. Her game is definitely trending, and her success last week could be the breakthrough moment that propels her into the winner's circle once again this week at the beautiful Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course in Hainan Island, Hainan, People's Republic of China.

"It's feeling much better than last year this time of the year. I'm really happy with the team I've surrounded myself with," said Lopez. "I've made a couple of changes, and I feel that the people around me are just as professional as I am, and they have helped me so much into growing my confidence and kind of tighten up my skills."

Since winning in 2018, this is only her second time playing the Blue Bay LPGA, and she said she's been a different golfer since becoming a Rolex First-Time Winner.

"It's always nice to come to a place where you have great memories, and your brain is switching for that window," said Lopez. "I'm really happy. Very different from when I won in 2018. I've matured a lot. I have been learning a lot about myself, and I keep learning.

"It's been really exciting to see the progress I've made."

Lopez became an LPGA Tour member in 2016 and has earned over $5 million in career earnings. She is definitely moving in the right direction, and it might be only a matter of time before she notches her fourth career LPGA title if she continues trending upward.

A Lim Kim Holds Early Lead in Season-Long Awards

A Lim Kim sits atop the Race to the CME Globe and Rolex Player of the Year standings, coming out of the gates in blazing fashion with a victory at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. She will be looking to extend her lead in both of those season-long races at the Blue Bay LPGA and currently shares the opening-round lead in the People’s Republic of China.

The 29-year-old has been playing well in 2025, earning a win in January and two additional top-10 finishes, a sixth-place result at the Honda LPGA Thailand and a tie for seventh last week at the HSBC Women's World Championship.

She attributes her success to a slight swing change, saying, "Last year I used to be 80 percent draw, but from now I'm going to change it a fade. More used to fade from now, so that reason 130 yards inside my game, and then ball shaping and ball percentage is higher than last year."

With a fade, even though you gain control, you may lose some distance, but Kim said distance is not her issue. She needed to change the shot-shaping aspect of her game.

The Republic of Korea native leads Yealimi Noh and Lydia Ko in the season-long races, holding a slim 55-point lead in the Race to the CME Globe over Noh and a four-point lead in the Rolex Player of the Year race over Ko. Look for Kim to widen the gap this week, with Noh and Ko taking a much-needed break before the Tour heads back to the United States for the second playing of the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass in late March.

Riley Smyth Leads Epson Tour's Race for the Card Standings

In the opening event of the year last week, first-time Epson Tour winner Riley Smyth claimed a victory at the Central Florida Championship as well as the first 500 points of the season. Matilda Castren finished runner-up after falling to Smyth in a three-hole playoff and earned 320 points in Winter Haven, Fla., to sit in second place in the Race for the Card standings. Laetitia Beck, Agathe Laisne and Juliana Hung are ranked third in the standings with 185 points each after finishing four shots behind Smyth last week.

The current top 15 in the Race for the Card standings include Isabella Fierro at No. 6, followed by Hailee Cooper and Kaitlyn Papp Budde who are tied for seventh. Savannah Carlson, Ashley Lau, Lindsy McCurdy Peek, Yana Wilson and Jiyue Wu share ninth, with Jeongeun Lee5, Aline Krauter, Sofia Garcia, Kaleigh Telfer, Briana Chacon and Alice Hodge tied for 14th.

The Race for the Card is a season-long points competition in which Epson Tour members accumulate points in every official Epson Tour tournament. The ultimate goal is to finish in the top 15 in the point standings to earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2026 season.

The point-based system replaced the money-based system in 2024, and points will be awarded to those who make the cut weekly for the second year. The 2025 season will also be the second year that Epson Tour athletes will vie for 15 LPGA Tour cards, which will be awarded after the season-ending Epson Tour Championship in Indian Wells, Calif.

Making Moves: Gaby Lopez Up 18 Spots in Rolex Rankings

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