There have been ten events on the LPGA Tour so far this season. And there have been ten different winners at these events. And none of them are named Nelly Korda. The 2025 LPGA season has indeed been full of surprises. And now, the eleventh event is scheduled to take place at the famed Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey—the Mizuho Americas Open. This one is a very young event, having kicked off in 2023. However, it offers one of the highest purses on the LPGA Tour, $3 million, where the winner gets $450,000. The tournament also features a very different format compared to the other events on the LPGA Tour.

What is the unique format at the Mizuho Americas Open?

How is the New Jersey event unique? So, 120 professional golfers will compete in the tournament in the regular stroke play format, and will have a cutline at the end of 36 holes. Just like regular Tour event but here is the unique part. Accompanying these 120 pros, will be 24 junior players. These players will compete with the senior pros, getting a chance to see the life on the other side. However, they will be scored separately from the pros, under the Stableford format.

But what is the Stableford format exactly? You see, Stableford is pretty common in junior golfing, where points are scored based on how many strokes you make. You get 1 point for a bogey, 2 points for a par, 3 for a birdie, 5 for an eagle, and 8 if you card a double eagle. If you score a double bogey or more, you will not get any points. In this, unlike normal golf, the highest score wins. This format helps in speeding up the game, as players generally stop playing a hole after it is seen to be a double bogey.

The 24 junior players who are participating at the Liberty National Golf Club will not have a cutline, but their scores are not counted towards the Junior Golf Scoreboard as they are not required to hole out in the event. This will be a great chance for the juniors to see their future rivals and current idols up close and learn from them. Last year, top golf prodigy Gianna Clemente got the chance to play alongside Nelly Korda and Hannah Green, an experience she would cherish highly.

Who could win the Mizuho Americas Open?

The field at the event is stacked. But even then, a few names stand out. The favorite heading to the competition in New Jersey is Jeeno Thitikul. The young Thai golfer has turned a corner since winning the CME Group Tour Championship last year and, despite not winning a title this year, has put forth some exemplary performances. She is currently placed second in the Race to CME Globe standings and finished T7 last year at the same event, with a score of 9 under par.

Right behind her in the favorites column is Nelly Korda. She will be looking to mount a successful title defense and kick-start her dormant 2025 season on the Tour. She has been underwhelming compared to her performances last season, with only two top 10 finishes this season in six starts. The likes of Haeran Ryu, Ruoning Yin, Rio Takeda, and Lydia Ko are also firmly in the mix.

Another big news would be the return of Rose Zhang, who had been sidelined before the Chevron Championship with a neck injury. Zhang had previously won the first edition of the event in 2023 and will be looking to make a statement return.

Who do you have winning the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open?