An historic 2024 LPGA season minted US star Nelly Korda as the world's No. 1 golfer, but a 36th-place tie at last weekend's 2025 AIG Women's Open saw the 27-year-old slip into the No. 2 spot on Monday.
While the US standout logged an astounding seven wins on the 2024 Tour, she has yet to win a 2025 LPGA event, allowing Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul to overtake her and snag the top world ranking.
Though her run is over, Korda's 71 straight weeks at the top is still impressive, clocking in as the fifth-longest streak in rankings history and adding to her career cumulative total of 108 weeks at No. 1.
Still hunting a first 2025 trophy, the new No. 2 has claimed four Top-5 tournament performances so far this season, including a runner-up finish at the US Women's Open in June.
Even more, Korda is stacking up a career-best run by making the cut in all of her 13 events this season.
As for the new No. 1, Thitikul spent two weeks at the top in her 2022 rookie season before beginning her second rankings reign on Monday, buoyed by the Thai star's seven Top-5 finishes in 14 starts this season.
The 2025 Tour has seen the 22-year-old claim her fifth career LPGA trophy at the Americas Open in May, settle for second place after a playoff round at last month's Evian Championship, and finish as runner-up at the HSBC Women's World Championship in February.
Notably, the LPGA is in the midst of the most parity-fueled year on record, as each of the 21 events on the 2025 Tour so far has crowned a different winner, including five new rookie champions — the most overall title-winners to begin a season in the governing body's 75-year history.
The LPGA is back on the East Coast with the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open teeing off in New Jersey on Thursday, with defending champ Nelly Korda on the hunt for her first win of the year.
After an unprecedented 2024 run, the world No. 1 golfer has struggled to regain her consistency this season, despite strong individual rounds.
"I've had some really good rounds, and some iffy rounds as well," the 26-year-old told reporters earlier this week. "But I think that's just the game of golf — it's life, it's up, it's down, it's never going to be easy. And when you think you've got it figured out, it's going to humble you very quickly."
Korda isn't alone in her 2025 Americas Open pursuit, as fellow US star Rose Zhang makes her return to the links this week — despite battling a lingering neck injury.
The world No. 26 golfer, who turns 22 years old at the end of this month, won the inaugural Americas Open in her 2023 pro debut, but sat out last month's Chevron Championship — the year's first major — citing neck discomfort.
"I will say that I'm pain-free right now, which I'm very thankful for," Zhang told Golf Digest. "I never realized, and obviously it goes unsaid, but the neck is very important for anything that you do."
In addition to another chance to get back on course, Korda and Zhang will also be chasing the lion's share of the four-day tournament's $3 million purse — one of the largest non-major prize pools on the LPGA schedule.
Notably, the Americas Open follows a unique format, inviting 24 top American Junior Golf Association players to tee off alongside the LPGA Tour's 120 best at Liberty National Golf Club.
How to watch the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open
Coverage of the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open starts at 11 AM ET on Thursday.
The Golf Channel will stream the tournament through Sunday morning, with the competition's final round airing live at 1 PM ET on Sunday on CBS.