via Getty
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 13: Lexi Thompson of USA addresses dignitaries and guests at the Rolex Awards cermony after the third round of The Evian Championship at the Evian Resort Golf Club on September 13, 2014 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
via Getty
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 13: Lexi Thompson of USA addresses dignitaries and guests at the Rolex Awards cermony after the third round of The Evian Championship at the Evian Resort Golf Club on September 13, 2014 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
The LPGA Tour’s season-ending tournament comes with the biggest gala on the calendar. The LPGA Rolex Awards ceremony is hosted alongside the CME Group Tour championship. Although LPGA announced some of the names previously, the awards were presented earlier tonight at the Ritz Carlton in Florida in the presence of Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez on the stage.
LPGA pros such as world no. 1 Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang, Hae Ran Ryu, Megan Khang, Allisen Corpuz, Ruoning Yin, and their families graced the green carpet. A total of 18 awards are presented to the selected persons here. While you have to wait till the championship ends for some title winners, here is everything you need to know before that.
What are the major awards presented at the ceremony?
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Perhaps the most anticipated award of the season is The Rolex Player of the Year. It recognizes the top point-earners each season. Players are awarded points based on their outings at the LPGA Tour, with winners bagging 30 points for each top-spot finish. This year, Lilia Vu, with 196 points, leads the race, while French international Celine Boutier is nipping at her heels with 169 points to her name.
Incidentally, Vu is also set to win the Annika Major Award at the LPGA Rolex Awards, which goes to the highest major winner in the season. The four-time LPGA Tour winner won two this year: the 2023 Chevron Championship and the 2023 Women’s British Open.
Another prestigious award, the Vare Trophy, honoring the legacy of ‘America’s First Lady of Golf’, Glenna Collet-Vare, is awarded to the golfer with the lowest scoring average in the season. Last year, 19-time LPGA Tour winner Lydia Ko bagged the trophy for the second time in her career.
Whereas, the Rolex Rookie of the Year Award went to South Korean pro Han Ran Ryu, who edged past American sensation Rose Zhang. This year, Ryu also netted her first LPGA Tour victory in the NW Arkansas Championship.
Who are the current winners of the LPGA Rolex Awards?
The Founders Award celebrates the rich legacy of the LPGA’s founding members. Selected by current LPGA Tour pros, Lexi Thompson received the prestigious award for embodying the ideals and spirit of LPGA’s founders.
"I've cherished every single friendship I've made out here in my career."@Lexi Thompson accepts the Founders Award at the 2023 @ROLEX LPGA Awards ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/BeladWoVPS
— LPGA (@LPGA) November 17, 2023
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Whereas Jane Park, who had to cut short her professional career to care for her toddler, was awarded the Heather Farr Perseverance Award. Park’s 10-month-old baby was diagnosed with brain swelling in 2021. Since then, the veteran golfer and her husband have turned to advocacy for disability and epilepsy.
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Ironically, after a night of revelry at the LPGA Rolex Awards, the pros will return to the greens, jousting for their $2 million paycheck at the 2nd round of the CME Group Tour Championship. While Nelly Korda will look for her maiden LPGA Tour win this season, Vu and Boutier are eyeing their fifth. However, currently, it’s Nasa Hataoka and Ruoning Yin who are leading the two-way battle to the top.
Watch This Story: Lexi Thompson’s Misery Short-Lived as LPGA Tour Pro’s Brother Makes a Massive PGA Tour Move
