World Golf Ranking Women: What Most People Get Wrong About the Rolex Rankings

If you’ve spent any time looking at the world golf ranking women board lately, you probably noticed something wild. The numbers don't just look different; the names at the very top are separated by a chasm. As of January 12, 2026, Jeeno Thitikul isn't just sitting at world number one. She's basically in a different timezone.

With an average of 12.53 points, she is nearly double the points of Nelly Korda, who sits at 7.24. That kind of dominance is rare in the modern era. Honestly, it reminds me of the peak Annika or Lorena days, where the gap between first and second felt like a permanent fixture of the landscape.

Most fans just glance at the list and see a hierarchy. But the way these points are actually earned changed significantly starting January 5, 2026. If you're still thinking about the rankings the way you did two years ago, you're missing the nuances of how the modern game is calculated.

The 2026 Shift in World Golf Ranking Women

For the longest time, the Rolex Rankings were a bit of a "closed shop" for the elite tours. If you weren't playing on the LPGA or the LET, gaining ground was like trying to run through waist-deep water.

That changed with the 2026 update.

The powers that be—the WWGR Board—finally decided to award points to every single player who makes a cut in a sanctioned tournament. It doesn't matter if the field is "weak" or "strong" anymore. If you play the weekend, you get something. This is a massive win for players on developmental circuits like the newly recognized ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour (WAPT).

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Basically, the "Strength of Field" metric got a facelift. Instead of grouping tournaments into "buckets" where a field rating of 151 and 160 gave out the same points, the system is now linear. Every single point in a field's rating corresponds to a unique point distribution. It’s more precise. It’s fairer. It’s also making the middle of the pack much more volatile.

Why the Gap Between Thitikul and Korda Matters

You've probably heard people say the rankings are "boring" when one person stays at the top for too long. I disagree. Looking at the world golf ranking women right now, the gap tells a story of incredible consistency versus a season of "what ifs."

Nelly Korda is still the powerhouse of American golf. She has 260.65 total points over 36 events. That’s a world-class resume. But Thitikul? She has amassed 463.69 points in just 37 events.

Think about that.

One extra tournament, but nearly 200 more total points. It means Thitikul isn't just winning; she is finishing in the top three almost every time she tees it up.

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The Top 10 Reality Check (January 2026)

1. Jeeno Thitikul (THA) – 12.53 avg points. The undisputed queen.
2. Nelly Korda (USA) – 7.24 avg points. Still the best in the West.
3. Minjee Lee (AUS) – 5.74 avg points. The ball-striking machine stays steady.
4. Miyu Yamashita (JPN) – 5.62 avg points. Dominating the JLPGA and making it count globally.
5. Charley Hull (ENG) – 5.44 avg points. Pure aggression and finally seeing the ranking reward.
6. Lydia Ko (NZL) – 5.03 avg points. The veteran who refuses to fade away.
7. Ruoning Yin (CHN) – 4.34 avg points. A quiet but lethal presence in the top 10.
8. Hyo Joo Kim (KOR) – 4.25 avg points. Leading the South Korean contingent.
9. Mao Saigo (JPN) – 4.11 avg points. Another testament to Japan's rising depth.
10. Sei Young Kim (KOR) – 4.10 avg points. Holding off the new guard for now.

The biggest surprise for some might be Lilia Vu. Not long ago, she was world number one. Now? She’s tumbled to 51st. That is the brutal reality of the two-year rolling window. If you don't defend your points from twenty-four months ago, you fall. Hard.

The Rise of the "Others"

Japan is currently the powerhouse of volume. They have 132 players in the top 500. While South Korea still holds 32 spots in the top 100, the "big movers" are coming from everywhere.

Take Lottie Woad. She's sitting at 11th in the world with only 18 events played. Because the divisor for the rankings has a minimum of 40 events, her average is actually being "punished" by a higher divisor than her actual starts. If she keeps this up, she’ll be top five by the summer.

Then there's Rose Zhang. Currently 62nd. People expected her to be top five by now, but golf is hard. She had six missed cuts in 2025. You can't stay at the top of the world golf ranking women with that kind of "feast or famine" record.

How the Points Actually Decay

People always ask me: "Why did my favorite player drop three spots when she didn't even play this weekend?"

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It's the "Equal Decrement" rule.

Points are worth 100% of their value for the first 13 weeks. After that, they lose a tiny bit of value every single week for the next 91 weeks until they hit zero. It’s like a bucket with a small hole in the bottom. If you aren't pouring new points into the top of the bucket, the level is going to go down.

This is why Jeeno Thitikul is so impressive. She is pouring points in faster than they can leak out.

Misconceptions About the Rankings

• "It's only about the LPGA." Wrong. With the inclusion of the WAPT and the JLPGA's high strength of field, players like Miyu Yamashita are proving you can be top five in the world without playing full-time in the States.
• "Winning a Major is everything." Majors give 100 points to the winner, which is huge. But if you win a Major and then miss five cuts, a player who finishes 4th in five straight regular events might actually pass you.
• "The rankings are updated live." Kinda. They are officially released every Monday. While we can project them, the "official" stamp only happens once a week.

Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors

If you're following the world golf ranking women to see who the next big thing is, stop looking at the top 10. Look at the "events played" column.

Players with low event counts (under 25) who are already in the top 50 are the ones to watch. Their "real" average is often much higher than their "ranking" average. Lottie Woad is the prime example right now.

Also, keep an eye on the JLPGA results. The world ranking points there have been undervalued by western media for years, but the 2026 system is finally catching up.

To stay ahead of the curve, track the "Points Gained" over the last 13 weeks specifically. That’s where you see the "hot hands" before they actually climb the ladder into the top 10. The rolling two-year window is a slow-moving ship; the 13-week window is a speedboat.

Next Steps for Following the Rankings

1. Check the Rolex Rankings official site every Monday afternoon after the global tours finish their cycles.
2. Focus on the Divisor. If a player has a 40-event divisor but has only played 30 events, their rank will jump significantly with every good finish as they approach that 40-event mark.
3. Watch the ANNIKA WAPT results. It’s the new frontier for world ranking points and where the next breakout stars are currently hiding.
4. Don't panic when a player drops. Check if they just had a massive win "fall off" their two-year record. It’s usually math, not a loss of form.