Rolex LPGA Awards

ROLEX LPGA AWARDS

On 17 November we saw the presentation to the 2025 Rolex LPGA awards winners. Some of the games greats including Betsy King, Nancy Lope, Judy Rankin and Annika Sorenstam attended the glittering prize giving evening in Naples Florida.

The majority of the awards were handed out however there are still two awards, the Rolex Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average, still to be determined. The winner of these awards will be decided following the season ending CME Tour Championship. The major awards from the night were:

Rookie of the Year

Japanese player Miyu Yamashita was named Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year following a fantastic season including a Major win at the IAG Women’s Open. She is the third Japanese player to win the award and follows countrywomen Mai Saigo who won last year.

Yamashita said “I am truly honoured to win this award. I am very happy to stand here today. I am also grateful to have my name included among many wonderful players who have won this award before me.”

Major Award

Ozzi Minjee Lee won the Rolex Annika Major Award. This award is given to the player who has the most outstanding record in all five major championships through the season. To earn points a player has to finish in the top 10 of the event and also has to have won one of the Majors across the season. Lee won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June. Her other Major finishes were T14 at The Chevron, 3rd at The Amundi Evain Championship and T13 at the AIG Women’s Open.

Receiving the award Lee said “I constantly work hard throughout the whole year to be able to contend in majors and in events and I think just all the hard work compounded together wit a little bit of confidence.”

Perseverance Award

Lindy Duncan was the recipient of the Heather Farr Perseverance Award for 2025. This award acknowledges an LPGA player who, through hard work, dedication and love of the game has demonstrated determination, perseverance and spirit in fulfilling her goals as a player. Duncan has been on the LPGA since 2014 and in 2025 had her best season on tour. She had 6 top 10 finishes including a tie for second at The Chevron Championship. Duncan had consecutive top 10 finishes for the first time in her career.

Duncan gave an emotional speech recognizing the hard road she had sometimes had to travel to keep her LPGA dream alive. She said “For years I thought joy was earned through accomplishment, Now I believe joy is a choice independent of scores and outcomes. That shift, choosing joy over validation gave me the freedom to be honest and vulnerable. Freedom to play and live freely.”

Founders Award

Stacey Lewis announced her retirement earlier in 2025 after a stellar career. Lewis’ career includes 13 victories with Major success at the 2011 Chevron Championship and the 2013 AIG Women’s Open at The Old Course, St Andrews. She competed in the 2016 Olympics and was a four-time playing member of the US Solheim Cup team. Lewis also captained the Solheim Cup team in 2023 and 2024.

The award was presented by Lydia Ko and in accepting the award Lewis said “To get this award that has the name of the founders means the world to me. Those 13 women are why we have the opportunity today. Gosh I look back on The Founders tournament, spending time with Marilynn and Shirley and over those years, getting to know the, it was the most impactful things of my career.”