World rankings measure consistency, not momentum. Charley Hull has had the latter for almost 8 months, while Nelly Korda has neither, choosing rest over competition. So, the gap of only one spot between #2 and #3 suddenly seems smaller than the numbers say.

Beth Ann Nichols shared the new Rolex Rankings top 3. The updated rankings placed Charley Hull at a career-best No. 3, trailing only Nelly Korda and new No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, after a pivotal victory in Saudi Arabia. She jumped over Minjee Lee and Miyu Yamashita to take the spot, also marking the highest position ever reached by an English golfer in the 20-year history of rankings. Notably, she’s gone from #20 in July to being #3 now.

Charley Hull came back from three shots down going into the last round in Riyadh, shooting a closing 65 to beat Akie Iwai and Casandra Alexander by one shot. Notably, Hull’s recent dominance is no fluke.

Her victory in Riyadh was her fifth on the Ladies European Tour and followed a win at the Kroger Queen City Championship. This consistency is underscored by an impressive streak of eight consecutive top-20 finishes without a missed cut since April. Hull’s path to the top is suddenly clearer, as her biggest rival, Nelly Korda, is stepping away from the tour for an extended break.

Korda won the season opener, the Tournament of Champions, in January, which was her 16th LPGA title and her first in more than a year. Korda then said she would not play in the next three LPGA events and would not return until the Fortinet Founders Cup on March 19. Petr, her father and a Grand Slam tennis champion, has been very clear that he wants her to play less.

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“I would love to see her play less than she was playing,” Petr said at December’s PNC Championship, though he didn’t share specifics on his ideal number.

Nelly Korda herself admitted she’s targeting 18-20 events annually, saying, “I’ve seen my body deteriorate over that, and I kind of get into the zone of possibly getting injured.”

The contrast between the two players’ approaches is striking. And it’s not the first time they’ve been measured against each other. Back in November 2024, at The Annika, Hull held a two-shot lead going into the weekend with Korda trailing in the final pairing.

“I always enjoy playing with Charley. She’s always a fun time. Hopefully, we give a good show,” Korda said then.

That week showcased their contrasting styles: Hull’s carefree swagger versus Korda’s calculated precision. Now, nearly 15 months later, their paths have diverged again. While Korda takes her second offseason in two months, Hull is attacking the calendar with renewed purpose. With Korda sidelined and Hull building serious ranking points week after week, the gap between second and third could shrink faster than anyone expected.

Charley Hull’s personality shone through after her Saudi triumph, revealing the mindset fueling her ascent.

Singapore starts to loom for Charley Hull after the Saudi victory

Charley Hull kept the tone grounded after her win in Riyadh, even though her rankings went up. The momentum now moves to Singapore, where she is set to play at the HSBC Women’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club. She tied for fourth there last season at seven under, which was her best finish in seven starts. This makes the venue a good place to keep closing the gap to Nelly Korda.

Hull earned $750,000 for her Saudi win from a $5 million purse, which exceeds the purses of every LPGA tournament outside the majors and the season-ending Tour Championship. Hull’s comments after the win also made clear what the surge was all about. She stressed that hard work during the off-season led to a result pretty much right away, showing that she had planned rather than just having had a lucky streak.

Since Korda is taking a break from competition, Charley Hull’s upcoming start in Singapore will have an immediate effect on the rankings.