Fifty percent of the No. 1 golfers in the Rolex Rankings have retired from the game. The rankings started around two decades back, and since then, 18 golfers have reached No. 1.
This includes the likes of Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, and Annika Sorenstam, among others. However, only nine of these players are still playing on the LPGA Tour, while most of them have retired from the game.
The shocking stats were shared by golf analyst Beth Ann Nichols on her X (formerly Twitter) account. She wrote:
“The Rolex Rankings debuted 20 years ago, and since then, 18 different players have held the No. 1 ranking. Of those 18 players, only nine are still competing at least close to full time on the LPGA.”
So Yeon Ryu wedding a reminder that LPGA No. 1s retire youngThe recent wedding of two-time major champion So Yeon Ryu looked like an LPGA all-star reunion. The impressive number of former top players in attendance speaks to the value Ryu placed on relationship during her time on the LPGA.As players gathered at the luxury Shilla Hotel to celebrate, there were a striking number of former No. 1s at the reception who have either retired or no longer play on the LPGA full time. The photos served as a reminder of how quickly the stars turn over in today’s modern game.The Rolex Rankings debuted 20 years ago, and since then, 18 different players have held the No. 1 ranking. Of those 18 players, only nine are still competing at least close to full time on the LPGA.
Lydia Ko, Yani Tseng, Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, Ariya Jutanugarn, Sung Hyun Park, and Ruoning Yin are the only golfers who reached No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings and still play on the LPGA Tour. While some of the players, such as Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu, Jin Young Ko, and others, have retired from the game.
Here is the list of the players who reached No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings (highlight one retired from the game):
- Jin Young Ko
- Lorena Ochoa
- Lydia Ko
- Yani Tseng
- Nelly Korda
- Inbee Park
- Annika Sorenstam
- Lilia Vu
- Jiyai Shin
- Stacy Lewis
- Shanshan Feng
- Ariya Jutanugarn
- Jeeno Thitikul
- Sung Hyun Park
- So Yeon Ryu
- Ai Miyazato
- Cristie Kerr
- Ruoning Yin
Who currently leads the Rolex Rankings?
Currently, Jeeno Thitikul is leading the Rolex Ranking. She reached the No. 1 spot earlier this year. She had an impressive time playing on the LPGA Tour in 2025 and is leading the ranking with 13.21 points.
Nelly Korda is settled in second place in the Rolex Rankings with 8.05 points. Charley Hull, Lydia Ko, and Ruoning Yin are in the top 10.
Here is the list of the top 50 players in the Rolex Rankings:
- 1. Jeeno Thitikul: 13.21
- 2. Nelly Korda: 8.05
- 3. Minjee Lee: 6.07
- 4. Miyu Yamashita: 5.97
- 5. Charley Hull: 5.80
- 6. Lydia Ko: 5.55
- 7. Ruoning Yin: 4.70
- 8. Hyojoo Kim: 4.54
- 9. Mao Saigo: 4.41
- 10. Sei Young Kim: 4.31
- 11. Lottie Woad: 4.27
- 12. Haeran Ryu: 3.95
- 13. Angel Yin: 3.95
- 14. Rio Takeda: 3.86
- 15. Maja Stark: 3.57
- 16. Hannah Green: 3.48
- 17. Hye Jin Choi: 3.44
- 18. Nasa Hataoka: 3.26
- 19. Celine Boutier: 3.20
- 20. Lauren Coughlin: 3.15
- 21. Andrea Lee: 3.14
- 22. Ariya Jutanugarn: 3.11
- 23. Akie Iwai: 3.08
- 24. Brooke M. Henderson: 2.99
- 25. Jin Young Ko: 2.98
- 26. Grace Kim: 2.96
- 27. Ayaka Furue: 2.95
- 28. Linn Grant: 2.90
- 29. A Lim Kim: 2.90
- 30. Chizzy Iwai: 2.87
- 31. Youmin Hwang: 2.80
- 32. Jennifer Kupcho: 2.74
- 33. Esther Henseleit: 2.66
- 34. Yealimi Noh: 2.59
- 35. Carlota Ciganda: 2.59
- 36. Gaby Lopez: 2.53
- 37. Minami Katsu: 2.34
- 38. Hyunjo Yoo: 2.32
- 39. Megan Khang: 2.31
- 40. Stephanie Kyriacou: 2.27
- 41. Seung Hui Ro: 2.26
- 42. Jin Hee Im: 2.25
- 43. Shuri Sakuma: 2.25
- 44. Auston Kim: 2.25
- 45. Somi Lee: 2.21
- 46. Lilia Vu: 2.20
- 47. Lindy Duncan: 2.19
- 48. Miranda Wang: 2.16
- 49. Madelene Sagstrom: 2.15
- 50. Shinsil Bang: 2.14