Has Lydia Ko or Caitlin had the better year?

It has been a record-breaking year for two golfers on the LPGA Tour this season. Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda have made history, and both have risen the women’s game to new heights. As they enter the home stretch of 2024, which one has had the better overall year?

Korda is ranked No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings for 2024. She has six victories on the season including five in a row which tied the all-time LPGA streak. She also has two other top 10s on the year. She ranks 1st in scoring average with a seasonal average of 70.044.

Ko is ranked No. 3 in the Rolex Rankings. She has two wins on tour this season and four other top 10s during the year. In addition, she also took home the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. It was the third straight Olympic games in which she has medaled and she now has a bronze, silver, and gold during her Olympic career.

Most recently Lydia Ko won the AIG Women’s Open

Or more succinctly Nelly Korda lost it this past weekend.

In the final round Korda, the two-time major champion, held a three-shot lead before entering the back nine. She soon made three bogeys and a double bogey to finish in a tie for 2nd.
In comparison, Ko made three birdies on the back nine to win her third major.

Korda has more wins and is better at finding greens in regulation during the year. However, Ko has by far had better putting during 2024. She is ranked ninth on tour with a putting average of 29.18. Korda is ranked 74th with her average at 30.11. Korda does have two more birdies (190) than Ko (188) on the season.

The advantage for who has had the better year may go to Ko, but with several tournaments coming up, Korda will be one the favorites to pick up another win on the season. One or two more victories to finish out the year could in the eyes of many give her the title of best female golfer in the world.