2024 was truly the “Year of Nelly.” An amazing seven-win season on the LPGA Tour made her the first player to do that since Yani Tseng in 2011, and the first American to do so since Beth Daniel in 1990. This also included a five-game straight win streak and tied the records of Nancy Lopez and Annika Sörenstam. Expectedly, she easily swept the Player of the Year and ANNIKA Major awards. The 2025 season, however, felt like a different story.

This time, Nelly looked more like a human. She faced a shocking trophy drought and had zero wins in 18 starts. A neck injury also slowed her down, which she herself called “one of my worst injuries ever.”  The strangest part? Her stats were still great. “Statistically, I saw my stats and seeing that I’m always in the top and some of my stats are maybe better than even last year, it’s just crazy,” Korda said in August. “That’s just golf. By this time last year, I had six wins under my belt, and my stats are better, and I have zero wins under my belt this year.”

So, naturally, this year, she was absent from the list of awardees. This year, it was Australia’s Minjee Lee who won the 2025 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award and created history. Lee, who rated her major season an “8.5 out of 10,” said, “From where I was at the beginning of the year and obviously winning KPMG and playing Chevron and had a good finish at Evian and all right at US Open and here, I’m going to say I’ve done pretty well.” The award basically honors the best player in all five majors, and this year, Lee deserved it the most.

She built her resume this season with two huge wins. Lee did not miss a cut at a major championship in 2025, finishing T14 at The Chevron Championship, T22 at the U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally. Then she went ahead, claimed her third major victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Then came 3rd and 13th finishes at the Amundi Evian Championship and AIG Women’s Open. With this win, Minjee Lee has become the first repeat winner of this award, having won it first in 2022. She is also the only Australian to win the award.

“I consistently 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 with a little bit of confidence,” Lee mentioned.

Korda’s 17-month run as #1 ended in August when Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul officially surpassed her. And what a twist of fate, Korda was also not a factor in the Rolex Player of the Year race as the battle was between Thitikul, Miyu Yamashita, and Minjee Lee. Thitikul, who dominated the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average this season, had a chance to topple Lee, but it didn’t happen. Nelly held all the titles last season, but a new group took over her place in 2025.

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Who were the other LPGA awardees this year?

Lee and Thitikul were the big stories of the season, but the 2025 Rolex LPGA Awards honored many other stars. Miyu Yamashita of Japan was the clear Rookie of the Year with a massive 217-point lead. Her amazing season included a major victory. The 24-year-old phenom won the AIG Women’s Open. “I am truly honored 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. I will keep working hard and try to win many more tournaments,” Yamashita said after winning the award. Yamashita follows 2024’s winner, Mao Saigo, and became the third Japanese player to win this honor.

The Heather Farr Perseverance Award went to Lindy Duncan.  The 34-year-old veteran player showed incredible resilience this season. Duncan has lost her LPGA card, but he regained it. She even lost sponsors and thought about quitting, but never gave up. “For years I thought joy was earned… now I believe joy is a choice,” Duncan shared after the win.

And the players themselves honored Stacy Lewis for the Founders Award. Lewis is a 13-time winner and captained the U.S. Solheim Cup team to victory in 2024. “To get this award… means the world to me,” Lewis said. She retired this season. Marvol Barnard won the Ellen Griffin Rolex Award as a top teaching professional.