The LPGA Tour is heading to China! The biggest players in women’s golf are taking a trip to Hainan Island for the final event in the Asian leg. The Blue Bay LPGA 2025 will be played for $2.50 million and 500 vital Race to CME Globe points.

The event will feature many former winners like Gaby Lopez, Minjee Lee, and the defending champion, Bailey Tardy. However, some big names will not be playing in the event. Let’s see who is missing from the 2025 Blue Bay LPGA entry list.

Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko came off an amazing win in Singapore a week prior to the Blue Bay LPGA 2025. The New Zealander was in sublime form, overcoming a tough field of peers to stand victorious in the end. Despite the triumph in the 2025 HSBC Women’s World Championship, Ko has chosen to step away from the Tour for a while. That is understandable, considering that she is getting closer to her retirement. Her primary goal is to become a Grand Slam champion. And perhaps, a victory at the Blue Bay LPGA 2025 is not a part of her checklist before she steps away from professional golf.

Nelly Korda

Nelly Korda has been busy channeling her inner Charley Hull. The world no. 1 was seen trying to achieve her peak fitness goals as she started off the Sunday with a bit of cardio. If the video on her Instagram story wasn’t enough to clarify that, then she had also shared a caption “Intervals to start my Sunday”. And she might continue the routine in the coming weeks. At the end of January 2025, Korda confirmed that she “won’t be going” to Asia this year. Hence, her withdrawal from the event in China was confirmed many weeks before the tournament’s entry list was released.

Charley Hull

Charley Hull came close to taking the 2025 HSBC Women’s World Championship away from Lydia Ko. At least, that’s what the scenario was till the end of the third round. Unfortunately, a dip in form on Sunday led to her finishing tied 4th. Yet, The Englishwoman has been in great touch recently, coming close to a win a few times. So it does come as a surprise that she has not made her way to China. Especially when she is so eager to break her LPGA Tour losing streak. With a less competitive field, this would have been her best shot at the title. Unfortunately, that will not be the case.

Rose Zhang

Rose Zhang has prioritized her education over golf. The 21-year-old still has many years of professional golf in her to win all that she possibly can. So for now, her goal is to focus on the winter classes of her Communications degree at Stanford University. She has been doing so since 2021 and will complete the course in 2027. This is because of the limited time she has to manage professional golf and education at the same time. The winter quarter at Stanford will end on March 14, 2025. With the Blue Bay LPGA 2025 being played from March 6-9, it’s understandable why the 2x LPGA Tour pro is not a part of the entry list.

Lexi Thompson

Lexi Thompson has been busy completing her life goals ever since she retired from full-time golf. The beloved LPGA Tour pro has gotten engaged, reached a higher level of fitness, and spent more time with her family. Thompson did make a brief appearance in the 2025 Founders Cup, where she finished at T13. But she has since gone back to retirement, having not participated in a single LPGA Tour event. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that she is also skipping the 2024 Blue Bay LPGA.

These were the biggest names missing from the 2025 Blue Bay LPGA. But according to the official LPGA Tour website, we can also see that other top stars like Jin Young Ko, Lilia Vu, and Hannah Green have decided to skip the tournament. This gives the likes of Jeeno Thitikul, Ayaka Furue, and local hero Ruoning Yin the best shot at capturing the title. It will be interesting to see who comes out top with the mixed competition on the field.

Who are you placing your bets on for the 2025 Blue Bay LPGA? Share your views in the comments section.