The 2024 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race in the LPGA is heating up as the season nears its end. With only six events left on the schedule, players from four different countries are in contention for the prestigious award. Surprisingly, an American player hasn’t won Rookie of the Year since 2005, with Auston Kim being the highest-ranked U.S. player at No. 6. Kim would need to win the upcoming BMW Ladies Championship and three more times to have a shot at the honor.
There are currently seven players with a mathematical chance of winning the Rookie of the Year award, but the race is not particularly close. Points are only awarded for top-40 finishes, with a victory worth 150 points, a second-place finish worth 80 points, and a 10th-place finish worth 50 points. Mao Saigo from Japan currently leads the standings by 122 points, with seven top-10 finishes under her belt.
Jin Hee Im from South Korea is also in the running, with four top-10 finishes this season and a consistent record of not finishing outside the top 35. Australian player Gabriela Ruffels, a former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, is not in the field for the BMW event, but has four top-10 finishes this season. She could become the fourth Australian to win Rookie of the Year.
Somi Lee from South Korea is looking to add her second top-10 finish of the season at the BMW Ladies Championship, where she is currently tied for 23rd. Nataliya Guseva from Russia, the first player from her country to earn an LPGA card, has also been impressive this season with four top-10 finishes, including a second-place finish at the Portland Classic. With a strong competition from international players, the battle for the 2024 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award is set to be a thrilling one to watch.
In summary, with only a few events remaining in the LPGA schedule, the competition for the Rookie of the Year award is getting intense. International players from Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Russia are leading the charge, with no American player currently in contention. The points system rewards consistent top-40 finishes, and the current leader, Mao Saigo from Japan, has a considerable lead in the standings. It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious and join the prestigious list of past winners in the history of the LPGA.
