There is a new world #1 in town! Nelly Korda‘s horrid run in 2025 has pushed her away from the crown. Women’s golf is being led by Jeeno Thitikul! This is the second time the Thai golfer has been at the top of the mountain. She achieved the feat once three years ago, when she was only 19. Although back then, Thitikul only held the position for a couple of weeks, this time around, she looks like she is going to settle into the position.
Speaking of settling in as the world’s no. 1, Korda sat at the helm comfortably for quite a long time. In fact, this will be the first time since the 12th week of 2024 that she will not be the best women’s pro. Despite her long streak and outstanding record, did you know that she doesn’t hold the record for the longest time as world #1? In fact, she barely made it to the top 5 highest number of weeks rankings with a total of 108 weeks in the position. Let’s see who has held the position the longest.
1. Jin Young Ko
At the top of the list is the 2 time major winner, Jin Young Ko. From 2017 to 2023, for 7 years in a row, the South Korean pro won at least 1 title in a season. Fans witnessed the best of her in 2019 and 2021 when she won 4 and 5 titles, respectively. In 2019, Ko captured both her major titles, the Amundi Evian Championship and the ANA Inspiration. Ironically, her official rookie year on the LPGA Tour was in 2018, which suggests that she was already a huge star even before she received her membership. Her domination over the years helped her reach the world #1 spot multiple times, and she held the position for a total of 163 weeks, according to the LPGA Tour website.
Nelly Korda’s dominant run has come to an end.
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) August 3, 2025
2. Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa was only 28 years old when she announced her retirement from golf. By then, she had achieved everything she wanted in the sport as she dominated the LPGA Tour during her 8-year stint. After completing her rookie year in 2003, the Mexican legend won her first title a year later. That was only the beginning of an unforgettable run. Over 6 years, Ochoa won a total of 27 LPGA Tour titles, including 2 majors. During a time when Annika Sorenstam was still dominating women’s golf, Lorena often outplayed the Swedish legend and dominated the world golf ranking in her presence. At 28, Ochoa retired as the world #1, a position she held for 158 weeks.
3. Lydia Ko
The first time Lydia Ko became the world #1 golfer, she was only 17 years and 284 days old. That made her the youngest player to ever achieve that feat. Of course, by then, she already had 5 LPGA Tour titles in her trophy cabinet. The New Zealand star has established herself as one of the best golfers in the history of the LPGA Tour. As she enjoys the twilight years of her professional career, she has achieved many feats that most pro golfers would be envious of. 23 LPGA Tour wins, including 3 majors, $21.1 million in career earnings, and a Hall of Fame award, what more do you need to have a successful career? Well, you can also add being the world no. 1 for 125 weeks to that list. If Lydia Ko does achieve the Career Grand Slam as she expressed she wishes to, then it won’t come as a surprise if she moves up this list before retirement.
The post As Nelly Korda’s Reign Ends, Exploring LPGA’s Top 3 Longest World No.1 Streaks appeared first on EssentiallySports.