2024 sure was an eventful year for the LPGA Tour. Nelly Korda set the tone quite early, winning five titles back-to-back, a first since Annika Sorenstam’s historic 2001 season. In between, Lexi Thompson also announced that this would be her last full season on the Tour.

To top it off, Lydia Ko finally sealed an Olympic gold medal that eluded her in the past two editions. That also catapulted her to Hall of Fame glory. While these definitely garnered the headlines, here are five stories that are also key highlights from the season, ranked in order of their ridiculousness.

Lancaster Country Club grilling players 

The Lancaster Country Club of the 2024 US Women’s Open was markedly different from the 2015 iteration. And it was anything but a walk in the park for Nelly Korda & Co. It shattered the world no. 1, actually. She carded a 10 after three of her attempts at reaching the green ended up in the meandering stream on the 12th.

The Florida resident missed out on a weekend spot. As did Lexi Thompson, Rose Zhang, Brooke Henderson, and Lydia Ko. By Sunday, only two players were under par: the champion, Yuka Saso, and the runner-up, Hinako Shibuno. The difficulty was just shy of the Pinehurst of 2014. The scoring average of +4.02 was the highest since the 2014 iteration (+4.61). Stats guru Justin Ray wrote on the LPGA Tour’s official website that Greens in Regulation percentage was 5% lower than the season average at that time.

Five hole-in-ones in a single LPGA Tour event

If the U.S. Women’s Open was the living embodiment of hell, then the Maybank Championship was something close to paradise. How do you have three hole-in-ones in a single round otherwise? The LPGA Tour set up the par-3 at 96 yards on a moving day. Long-hitting pro Emily Pedersen started the hole-in-one party, followed by Kristen Gillman and then Anna Nordqvist. By Sunday, the number reached five, the first time since 2019 a tournament witnessed five aces.

LPGA Commissioner resigns abruptly

Mollie Marcoux Samaan has had a contentious tenure. The outgoing LPGA commissioner oversaw a jaw-dropping prize money growth in women’s golf. But at the same time, she was blamed for the LPGA not latching onto it more. At a time when women’s sports saw unprecedented growth in popularity, the LPGA was seen doing too little to promote its stars.

On top of it, the Solheim Cup shuttle bus mishap put her ability to steer LPGA under the scanner. The shock announcement came last December. Samaan would step down next month. Her three-and-a-half years at the helm was the third shortest stint for an LPGA Tour commissioner.

Charley Hull pulls a John Daly move

Who even knew that Charley Hull loves Marlboro no less than John Daly does? The British International was spotted signing an autograph with a heater hanging loose from her lips. Golf Twitter (okay, Golf X) went bonkers. Apparently, Hull started smoking to cut off another bad habit. Vaping.

Comparison with John Daly was bound to come up. Wild Thing actually wanted to take her out. If he were a bit younger, that is. Nevertheless, elucidating on the John Daly comparison, Charly Hull had a pithy response.  “I find it quite funny, because I actually do go to the gym, and I’m a very healthy person. Duly noted.

Caddies go shirtless at the Solheim Cup

Surely, no one saw that coming. Not even Megan Khang and Alison Lee. They should’ve thought as Lee only asked for it. So here is a quick recap. Khang’s looper, Jack Fulghum, told the players on the Saturday four-ball that if anyone holed out, the caddies would pay $500. Well, Alison Lee had other ideas. Go shirtless.

Well, little did she know she would be the one to make them do it. Lee’s wedge landed just short of the pin and then swerved towards the cup before rolling in. She took a chunky divot, and along with it, the shirts of Fulghum and Lee’s caddie, Taylor Takada, went flying. Stacy Lewis didn’t mind. European captain, Suzann Pettersen, didn’t either. But not everyone was happy about watching shirtless caddies in the Solheim Cup.

That wraps up the LPGA Tour for 2024. The next season will kickstart on January 30 with the HGV Tournament of Champions, under interim commissioner, Liz Moore. It remains to be seen how Nelly Korda follows up her seven title-winning season, and what Hall of Famer Lydia Ko does next year.