The 2026 LPGA spring season has settled into a clear two-name conversation at the top, Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul, and then a gusty Sunday in Cincinnati reminded everyone the kids are not waiting their turn. Twelve events into the season, the league has crowned its first major champion, watched a returning world No. 1 stack three wins in six starts, and seen a 22-year-old English phenom claim her second title in just 19 career starts.
All of it now points toward the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles beginning June 4, a week that could completely reshape the LPGA narrative for the rest of 2026.
Here is where everything stands as the tour exits its spring stretch and turns toward summer’s major gauntlet.
Korda Looks Like 2024 Korda Again
Headliner first. Nelly Korda has won three times in 2026: the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona on February 1; the Chevron Championship at Memorial Park in Houston on April 26, her third career major and second Chevron title in three years; and the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba on May 3 by four shots.
That pushes her to 18 all-time LPGA titles. At 27 years old, she is the youngest American to reach that number since Nancy Lopez did it at age 23 in 1980.
For a player who failed to win even once in 2025, this has been a complete reset to begin the year.
Thitikul Refuses to Be the Sidebar
Korda may be reclaiming the spotlight, but Jeeno Thitikul remains right there.
The 2025 Race to CME Globe winner, money leader, Vare Trophy winner, and Rolex Player of the Year already has two victories this season: the Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club on February 22, where she edged Chizzy Iwai by one shot, and the Mizuho Americas Open at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, New Jersey on May 10.
She now owns nine career LPGA victories and is still searching for her first major, a question carrying real weight heading into Riviera.
Woad Just Crashed the Party
The Sunday before the U.S. Women’s Open is supposed to function as a tune-up. Instead, 22-year-old Lottie Woad captured the Kroger Queen City Championship at Maketewah Country Club in Cincinnati on May 17, holding off Haeran Ryu by two shots for her second LPGA title.
She closed with a 1-under 69 to finish at 12-under 268.
The week before, Woad missed the cut at Mizuho after rounds of 80 and 77, which she later traced back to a putter grip that was not aligned properly. She changed it, stayed in New Jersey over the weekend to practice, then showed up and won in Cincinnati.
That became her second victory in just 19 starts, the fastest two-win pace since Sung Hyun Park in 2017, according to Golf Digest.
Woad is a personal favorite and appears to be peaking at exactly the right time heading into the U.S. Women’s Open.
The Other Spring Winners Who Mattered
Hannah Green has quietly been the best non-Korda development of the season.
She won the HSBC Women’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore on March 1 by one shot over Auston Kim, her second HSBC title in three years.
Then on April 19, she captured the JM Eagle LA Championship at El Caballero Country Club, defeating Sei Young Kim and Jin Hee Im in a three-player playoff for her third title at that event. She pulled it off despite trailing by six strokes on the 11th hole before charging back with a 4-under 68 and a 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole.
Veteran Lauren Coughlin is also showing signs of a resurgence after going wire-to-wire at the Aramco Championship at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas on April 5. She finished five shots ahead of Korda and Leona Maguire for the third LPGA victory of her eight-year professional career.
Where Everyone Sits in the Race
The official LPGA Race to CME Globe standings as of Friday, May 22, 2026:
Korda’s lead has already stretched beyond 1,000 points and continues to grow almost weekly.
Who’s Fading
Lydia Ko has found herself in contention multiple times without fully breaking through. Sitting ninth in the Race to CME Globe is respectable, but still below the standard she established over the previous five years.
Minjee Lee, who finished third in last season’s CME Globe standings, has stumbled through a slow opening stretch after withdrawing from the JM Eagle LA Championship in April and finishing T49 at the Chevron. She currently sits 41st in the standings.
Meanwhile, Rio Takeda, who finished fourth in CME Globe points last year after posting two victories during her rookie season, currently sits 25th. Her best finish this year remains a T5 result back in March at Blue Bay in China.
Takeaways
This spring stretch clarified a few things quickly: Korda is back, Thitikul is not easing up, Woad is the type of rising threat that becomes dangerous on difficult setups, and the women’s game is deep enough to produce a new breakout almost every week.
The next major test arrives at the 81st U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club from June 4-7. It will mark the first USGA women’s championship ever played at Riviera, a course built to reward low ball-flight control and brain-over-brawn approach play.
At the moment, there may be three names dominating the LPGA conversation entering summer. One major, though, can rewrite the entire second half narrative.
If this was your kind of read, you’ll like what’s next. Get The Sandman Ticket, our free, weekly newsletter with picks, insights, and a little bit of everything we love about sports.
