By: Max Bechtoldt
The LPGA Tour Hall of Fame is notorious for being one of the most exclusive halls to get into in sports. The members aren’t voted for, but instead have to reach a 27-point threshold to be inducted. As of now only 34 players are in the LPGA Hall of Fame. Lydia Ko sits just one point from becoming the 35th member.
The ways to receive LPGA Hall of Fame points are as follows, each official LPGA Tour win counts for one point, while every major championship win counts for two. The Vare Trophy, which goes to the player with the lowest scoring average of the year, and the Rolex Player of the Year award, each will get players one point as well. Finally, an Olympic gold medal now counts for one point.
1. Lydia Ko:
The obvious one as said above is Lydia Ko, who in theory should be a lock at this point. Ko is just one point short through her 20 LPGA Tour wins, two majors, two Vare trophies and two Player of the Year trophies. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ko in by the end of the year.
2. Jin Young Ko (Pictured):
Jin Young Ko is up to 20 current points at only 28-years-old and seemingly still is in her prime. Ko has 15 wins on the LPGA Tour, including two majors, and has one Vare Trophy and two Player of the Year titles to her name. Ko is still in strong form, as evidenced by her two wins in 2023, and has won at least one LPGA Tour event every year since 2017.
3. Brooke Henderson:
This is where the listing becomes a lot of projecting. Players like Christie Kerr (22) and Stacy Lewis (19) both have slowed down significantly over the past five years, and seem to have missed their windows. Brooke Henderson though sits at 15 points and is still competing at a high level. Henderson, like Lydia Ko, is just 26-years-old and has 13 career wins with two majors. While she shockingly has never won a Player of the Year, and has slowed her winning pace down (only four wins in the last four seasons) she is still young enough to get the 27 points needed.
4. Minjee Lee:
Lee’s biggest strength is that she seems to be hitting the prime of her career now. At 27-years-old Lee has 12 points thanks to her 10 wins and two majors. Half of her wins and both majors have come since 2021 though, so it is safe to assume her torrid pace will continue. If Lee can get a couple more wins this season, and potentially a Player of the Year title, then her odds go way up.
5. Nelly Korda:
There isn’t a lot of great options for the last spot. Considering nobody currently playing full time on the LPGA Tour has qualified, its clearly a rare honor. But, if Korda can get back to her 2021 form, she has a decent chance. At 25-years-old Korda has 10 points, with eight LPGA Tour wins including one major, plus her gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics. She probably should have won the 2021 LPGA Player of the Year, and was the lowest on tour in scoring average that year but didn’t have enough rounds to qualify for the Vare Trophy. Korda’s momentum was halted by lingering injuries in 2022 and 2023, causing her to win just one event in that time. If Korda can stay healthy though, she can get back on track for the hall.
