LPGA 2025 Wish List: More Nelly Korda Magic, a Game-Changing Commissioner & a Surprise Superstar Crossover

It’s a new year and the new LPGA season begins later in January with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, and we can’t wait. It’s already too late for resolutions—and we know everyone breaks those anyway. But, it’s the perfect time to put our wishes for the LPGA Tour into the universe. It’s like our Golf Digest vision board for 2025 and beyond. So here goes …

More Nelly Korda magic
Korda won Player of the Year honors after a seven-win season in 2024, which included one major at the Chevron Championship. She went on a heater by winning a record-tying five consecutive tournaments, something done only by Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05). Korda’s swing is beautiful to watch, and tournaments are at their best when the 26-year-old is contending. She started 2024 with a bang, had some struggles (what golfer doesn’t?), endured a neck injury, but came back to end the season by playing incredibly well with a win in The Annika and T-5 in the CME Group Tour Championship.

Julio Aguilar
Everything the WNBA star does is epic—even an errant tee shot—and her participation in the pro-am at The Annika event was insanely huge for women’s golf. It’s one of the coolest things that happened all season and brought massive attention, fun, fans, money and ratings. How great would it be to have Clark get the ball rolling on starting a new event in her home state of Iowa? She loves golf. She loves Iowa. And everyone loves her. It would be an instant classic. Sign us up for anything with Clark.

An inspiring new LPGA commissioner
The LPGA needs a leader who is innovative, creative, knowledgeable and someone who gets it. Someone who will try new things and take the tour to new heights, beyond the increased purses that have mostly come in the majors. Women’s sports leagues—like the WNBA, NWSL, NCAA women’s basketball—are soaring, and the LPGA has lagged a bit in capturing the attention and magic of the popularity of women athletes. Mollie Marcoux Samaan’s shortened tenure ends Jan. 9, and the 10th LPGA commissioner needs to be the right one and the right time.