Hyo Joo Kim made the most impactful move in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, jumping up 19 spots to No. 11 in the world following her win at the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. The Republic of Korea native rallied from a four-shot deficit on Sunday with an 8-under 64 to force a playoff with Lilia Vu. On the first extra hole, Kim rolled in a birdie putt to earn her seventh career LPGA Tour title.

Kim continues to impress, coming off her playoff win last week. On Wednesday, she went head-to-head against Bailey Tardy at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards and won her first match of the tournament 8-and-7 on day one of round-robin play in Las Vegas.

Since becoming an LPGA Tour member in 2015, she has earned over $10 million in career earnings, recorded 59 career top 10s, including seven career victories. She is definitely moving in the right direction, and at a perfect time, considering the LPGA Tour major season gets underway in just a few weeks.

Here’s a look at the current top 10 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings:

Nelly Korda (United States)
Jeeno Thitikul (Thailand)
Lydia Ko (New Zealand)
Lilia Vu (United States)
Hannah Green (Australia)
Ruoning Yin (People’s Republic of China)
Ayaka Furue (Japan)
Charley Hull (England)
Haeran Ryu (Republic of Korea)
Jin Young Ko (Republic of Korea)

Lindy Duncan Moves Up 72 Spots

Lindy Duncan made the second most impactful move in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, jumping up 72 spots to No. 110 in the world after falling just short of earning a playoff berth at Whirlwind Golf Club. Duncan played solid in Arizona, ending the week at 19-under to finish in solo fifth.

The American has competed on the LPGA Tour since 2014 and has nine career top-10 finishes. But her success last week could be the breakthrough moment she needs to find herself in the winner's circle this season.

Duncan’s move in the Rolex Rankings was impressive, but her move in the Race to the CME Globe standings was just as significant, as she jumped from No. 57 to No. 30 in the standings after a successful trip to the Grand Canyon State. The 34-year-old has made two cuts in three starts this season, recording back-to-back top-12 finishes as she also had a T12 result at the Blue Bay LPGA to go along with her fifth-place showing at the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass.

Chasing the Crown

The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown will be held over four days from Oct. 23 to 26 at New Korea Country Club in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea, later this season. The top seven countries and one world team will compete for one crown.

The countries participating will be determined by the combined Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings of the top four players from each nation after the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June. The final field of 32 players will be determined after the conclusion of the 2025 AIG Women's Open on Aug. 4, with the top four players in the Rolex Rankings from each country serving as the team’s four representatives.

The Republic of Korea, with its fierce roster of competitors, has significantly narrowed the lead for the top team, now trailing the U.S. Team by only 10 points. This thrilling development comes after Hyo Joo Kim's triumphant victory at Whirlwind Golf Club. The Republic of Korea's Haeran Ryu, Jin Young Ko, Kim and Amy Yang are all vying for a chance to secure a spot on the Korean Team, ahead of October's Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown.

Ryu is securely on the team at this juncture, as the 22-year-old is currently sitting at ninth in the Rolex Rankings, and Ko is the next highest-ranked athlete behind her at 10th in the standings. With her win, Kim moved into the third spot on the Korean Team, slightly ahead of Yang, who is ranked 14th in the world. LPGA Tour rookie Ina Yoon, who is working to compete in her first International Crown, is currently on the outside looking in, trailing Yang by 11 spots after finishing T22 at the Ford Championship.

The U.S. Team maintains its top-seeded position with 34 points and is led by Nelly Korda with her teammate at the 2023 Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, Lilia Vu, in a close second. Angel Yin, currently ranked at No. 12, and Lauren Coughlin, at No. 14, complete the top four. Despite a missed cut in Arizona, Rose Zhang is hot on Coughlin's heels, trailing by just five positions in pursuit of the fourth spot on the U.S. Team.

The race for the eighth team spot is heating up, with England and Germany currently being the two teams to watch. These two countries are the first outside the seven automatic team qualifiers. England's Charley Hull's impressive performance, moving from No. 10 to No. 8 with her T11 at the Ford Championship, has secured her the European berth on the World Team. Meanwhile, Peiyun Chien of Chinese Taipei has reclaimed the Asia berth on the World Team, pushing Shannon Tan of Malaysia to the reserve spot. This intense competition has seen these players swap spots for the second consecutive week.

Rio Takeda Maintains Lead in Rookie of the Year Race

Rio Takeda holds the lead in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award standings and is ahead of Miyu Yamashita by 138 points despite a missed cut last week at the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. The Japan native has had some early success in 2025, earning three top-10 results so far, including a win at the Blue Bay LPGA, a solo eighth at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Championship in January before her T9 showing at the Honda LPGA Thailand in February.

The rookie won her first LPGA Tour title at the 2024 TOTO Japan Classic in her home country last season. She didn't accept the immediate membership she was offered as part of her non-member victory, instead deferring her status until 2025, making her a member of the 2025 LPGA Tour rookie class.

Making Moves: Hyo Joo Kim Moves Up 19 Spots in Rolex Rankings

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