Before the season started, Fore-All gave predictions for who the biggest breakouts on the LPGA Tour would be, to varying degrees of accuracy. So who were the actual biggest breakout stars in 2024?
Note: The term breakout player means something different depending on each person, the choices below will be justified in the descriptions.
No. 5 – Sarah Schmelzel – While Schmelzel had some low points throughout the season, including a stretch of missing five out of six cuts in April and May, she still had a season that races past any other of her career. Schmelzel came into 2024 with eight top-10 finishes in five full seasons on tour. She almost doubled that number with seven this past season. Schmelzel went on a great run early, notching four top-10 finishes in a row in March, playing in the final group on Sunday twice in the process. While she didn’t get any wins, she did do enough to earn a spot on the Solheim Cup team, where she was one of the team’s emotional leaders and played terrific early.
No. 4 – Mao Saigo – It is hard to not have a Rookie of the Year winner on this list any season, and while Saigo didn’t get a win in 2024, she did set herself up to be another wildly consistent young player on tour. Saigo made 24 cuts on the season and notched seven top-10 finishes. She had two runner-up finishes, at the CPKC Women’s Open and in Shanghai. Saigo also got toward the top of the leaderboard in two majors, finishing in the top 10 at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the AIG Women’s Open.
No. 3 – Haeran Ryu – There was a point during the season where 2023 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year winner Haeran Ryu looked like the best player in the world. From July – October, Ryu finished in the top six in 8/10 events, including a win at the FM Championship. For the season Ryu had the most top-10 finishes of anyone on tour with 13. Heading into the CME Group Tour Championship, Ryu was sitting at No. 2 in the standings behind only Nelly Korda. She finished in a narrow second place for the Vare Trophy, losing it by only a stroke.
No. 2 – Ayaka Furue – While Ayaka Furue was already a well-known and accomplished golfer on the LPGA Tour, 2024 is when she became one of its best players. Furue was the picture of consistency in 2024, making the cut in 23 of the 24 events she played. Of those made cuts, she finished in the top 10 in 12 of them. While she only had one win on the season, it was a huge one, her first major championship victory at the Amundi Evian Championship. Furue finished off her terrific year by winning the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average on tour for players with enough rounds to qualify. It is easy to forget that back in July, Furue failed to qualify for the Olympic team from Japan.
No. 1 – Lauren Coughlin – This seems pretty obvious to anyone who follows the LPGA Tour, if it wasn’t for the magical seasons of Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda, Coughlin was the story of 2024. Coughlin entered the year off-the-radar of many fans, with only three top-10 finishes in four full seasons on tour. She found some momentum early with a top-10 at the Ford Championship and a third place finish at Chevron. But it was really July when her season took off. In a span of four tournaments, Coughlin came in fourth at The Evian Championship, won the CPKC Women’s Open, T9 at the Portland Classic and won the Scottish Open. For the season, Coughlin had eight top-10 finishes and two wins, plus was one of the MVPs of the Solheim Cup held in her home state, going 3-0-1. Her best finish on the money list rank before 2024 was No. 69, this year, she finished No. 10.
