Here at Fore-All.com for the next week we will be offering predictions in a variety of categories for the upcoming 2025 season, starting off here with the breakout player of the year predictions.
Miyu Yamashita – Likely the odds on favorite to win rookie of the year, Yamashita is already a well-accomplished player on the world’s stage, ranked No. 13 in the Rolex Rankings. Now, in 2025 she comes to the LPGA Tour as a full-time player for the first time. Yamashita finished 2024 with 20 worldwide top-10 finishes, including a runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She also represented Japan at the Paris Olympics.
Rio Takeda – Another Japanese player who actually won an LPGA Tour event in 2024, the Japan Toto Classic, is also going to be in her first season as a tour member. Takeda is currently ranked No. 17 in the Rolex Rankings and won eight times on the JLPGA in 2024. This is a player who could be a transcendent star right off the bat in 2025.
Gabi Ruffels – A carryover from last year’s list, Ruffels was good in 2024, but I expect her to take a leap in 2025. Ruffels had four top-10 finishes and ended up ranked No. 32 in the CME Standings in her rookie season. Ruffels was much stronger in the first half of the season, before struggling later. Ruffels is well-rounded, a solid striker of the ball off the tee and one of the more underrated short game players on tour.
Stephanie Kyriacou – Kyriacou had one big moment in 2024, finishing runner-up at the Evian Championship, but struggled with inconsistency for much of the rest of the season, missing eight cuts and finishing right outside of the top 60 in the CME Standings. Kyriacou has a combination of elite driving and good putting that should set her up for success.
Bianca Pagdanganan – Pagdanganan hasn’t had a ton of LPGA Tour success since leading the Arizona Wildcats to a national title, but the flashes are there. After having her best season on tour in 2023, 2024 was a bit of a step back, only finishing with one top 10 on the year. Pagdanganan is simply one of the best drivers of the golf ball on tour, which has the potential to cover for some of her weaknesses. Pagdanganan was sixth on tour in driving distance and gains positive strokes tee-to-green. The talent is clearly there if Pagdanganan can put it all together.
