Hinako Shibuno might have come up short in Pennsylvania and missed out on her second LPGA Tour win, but she still had the Move of the Week, jumping 131 spots in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings to No. 61. This runner-up finish ties her second-best result as an LPGA Tour member, which came in 2022 at the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei.
Japanese players had a great deal of success last week taming Lancaster Country Club. It was the first major championship in both women’s and men’s golf history that players representing Japan finished first and second on the leaderboard. Shibuno finished the U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally three shots behind her fellow countrywoman Yuka Saso. She attributes their success to competing on courses similar to Lancaster when playing in Japan.
“I mentioned this (on Saturday) that the Japanese players did very well,” said Shibuno after her final round in Pennsylvania. “I think part of the reason is they hit it very straight, and despite that this course is difficult. There are a lot of ups and downs, and it’s slopey. However, the greens here are similar, somewhat similar, to greens in Japan. Maybe that’s why they did very well.”
Shibuno stormed onto the LPGA Tour scene with her victory at the 2019 AIG Women’s Open in her major debut. Yet, after her win, she made the equally stunning decision to forgo the LPGA Tour membership that came with the victory, opting to remain home in Japan and continue her JLPGA Tour career.
She eventually earned membership via LPGA Q-Series in 2021 and has since amassed seven career top-10 finishes, racking up $2,604,290 in career earnings. But her success last week could be a breakthrough moment that propels her back to the LPGA Tour winner’s circle later this season.
Olympic Hopeful Yuka Saso Makes Move in Standings
Yuka Saso captured her second career LPGA Tour win and major title at the U.S. Women’s Open, moving her from No. 44 to sixth in the Race to the CME Globe standings. The victory helped her ultimately crack the top 10 in the Rolex Rankings for the first time since March of 2022, and Saso is well on her way to representing Japan at the Olympics for a second time, having first done so in Tokyo, where she finished in a tie for ninth.
As the 2024 Olympics draw near, the pressure is on players to perform well and climb the rankings, all in the hope of securing a spot to represent their country in Paris. And Saso is no exception. With only a few more tournaments left before the teams are finalized, the competition is heating up and the stakes are high, and she knows she’s going to have to be on top of her game to make her Paris dreams a reality.
“I think we only have a few more tournaments,” said the past Olympian. “Two more after this. I’m not sure where my ranking is right now, but I think trying to play good for the last two events, three events that I have, I think that would give myself a chance to be in the Olympics.”
Saso has one additional top-10 this season to her credit, a tie for ninth at T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards. She also ranks second on the Official Money List and is third in the Rolex Player of the Year standings.
U.S. Solheim Cup Standings Update
Players have shuffled in and out of the top seven positions in the Solheim Cup standings, and the final few guaranteed spots on this year’s team are still up for grabs. With Ally Ewing and Andrea Lee tying for third at the U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally, the pair made the largest jumps in the U.S. Solheim Cup Team point standings. Ewing moved from sixth to fourth, while Lee moved from seventh to fifth after their solid performances at Lancaster Country Club.
Alison Lee (No. 18), Angel Yin (No. 28), Jennifer Kupcho (No. 46) and Lexi Thompson (No. 58) are each vying for one of the two guaranteed spots that go to the top two players in the Rolex Rankings who are not already eligible.
Alison Lee’s T44 result in Pennsylvania moved her down a position in the world rankings to No. 18, while missed cuts from Yin, Kupcho and Thompson dropped them all in the rankings, and they still have work to do if they want to compete for the Americans this September.
The U.S. Team will comprise the top seven players in the U.S. Solheim Cup standings, the top two in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings not already eligible, and three captain’s picks. The team will be finalized on Aug. 25, 2024, following the AIG Women’s Open.
Europe Solheim Cup Standings Update
Charley Hull and Alexandra Forsterling continue to lead the Solheim Cup standings for Team Europe, but Carlota Ciganda has closed the gap and now only trails by nearly nine points for one of the automatic spots on the team. The Spaniard’s T19 finished in Lancaster, Pa., has her at No. 29 in Rolex Rankings, and she is currently one of six players eligible to qualify via the world rankings.
As of today, the six Rolex Rankings qualifiers for the European Team are Celine Boutier (No. 3), Maja Stark (No. 17), Carlota Ciganda (No. 29), Leona Maguire (No. 31), Linn Grant (No. 32) and Georgia Hall (No. 34). The next two players are Madelene Sagstrom (No. 35) and Anna Nordqvist (No. 63).
The European Team will comprise the top two players in the Europe Solheim Cup standings, the top six players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings not already eligible, and four captain’s picks. Like the U.S. Team, the European team will be finalized on Aug. 25, 2024, after the conclusion of the AIG Women’s Open.