Chanettee Wannasaen's talent was on full display at the Dana Open, and the 20-year-old earned her second LPGA Tour victory after firing four rounds in the 60s at Highland Meadows Golf Club. As a result, she moved up ten spots in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings to No. 33.
In addition to her win, the Thailand native has two other top-10 results in 18 starts this year, a tie for third that came at the Mizuho Americas Open and a tie for eighth that came at the Dow Championship. She became only the second player from Thailand to win the Dana Open, joining Jasmine Suwannapura, who won in 2018.
Wannasaen's rapid rise in both the Rolex Rankings and Race to the CME Globe has been truly remarkable. Her first LPGA Tour win at the 2023 Portland Classic catapulted her into the top 60 in the world rankings, and she climbed to 51st in the Race to the CME Globe after playing in her first CME Group Tour Championship as a rookie in 2023.
Her recent victory at the Dana Open has now placed her at 14th in the Race to the CME Globe standings (917.935 points), 14th in the Rolex Player of the Year race and 25th on the Official Money List with $680,698 in season earnings. This rapid rise in the rankings underscores her potential and bright future in the LPGA Tour.
Ssu-Chia Cheng on the Rise
Ssu-Chia Cheng delivered a remarkable performance at the Dana Open, recording a 3-under par 68 on Sunday in Sylvania, Ohio, to finish in a tie for third and card all four tournament rounds in the 60s for the first time in her LPGA Tour career. Her T3 showing in the Buckeye State also significantly improved her position in the Rolex Rankings, as Cheng leapt up 82 spots to No. 279 in the world.
Before last week, Cheng had made six prior starts this season on the LPGA Tour and four starts on the Epson Tour. She has struggled on the LPGA in the past few years and lost her full status, but in her four starts this season on the Epson Tour, she has earned two top-five finishes, tying for second at the Casino Del Sol Golf Classic and tying for third at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa.
While Cheng's climb in the Rolex Rankings is noteworthy, her rise in the Race to the CME Globe standings is even more significant. Finishing in the top 80 and ties on the previous season-ending Points List guarantees full status for the next season. Cheng's ascent from No. 122 to No. 77 is a clear indication of her progress and may play a crucial role in determining her 2025 LPGA Tour status, showing that Cheng is trending upward, a trajectory she needs to continue.
Epson Tour Grad Celine Borge Earns Top 10 in Ohio
Celine Borge, a 2022 Epson Tour graduate, earned her first top-10 finish of the year at the Dana Open, tying for seventh alongside Dottie Ardina. It was her first top-10 finish since she tied for third at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship.
In just her second season on the LPGA Tour, Borge continues to build momentum, and her latest seventh-place result moves her closer to re-entering the top 100 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for the first time since August 2023. At the start of her rookie season, the 25-year-old was 383rd in the world. However, with 23 cuts made in her first two seasons and six top-18 finishes, Borge has climbed to No. 189 in the Rolex Rankings.
The Norwegian golfer has more work to do to maintain her LPGA Tour status for the 2025 season. Her ascent in the Race to the CME Globe standings was notable, as she moved from No. 143 to No. 107 after the Dana Open.
But, she will still need more strong finishes to break into the top 100 on the points list. Despite making only seven cuts in 18 starts this season, Borge is competing in this week's CPKC Women's Open in Canada, giving her another opportunity to replicate that solid top-10 performance at the Dana Open.
Jessica Porvasnik in New Leader in Epson Tour’s Race for the Card
After a runner-up performance at the Twin Bridges Championship, Jessica Porvasnik has found herself in the top spot in the season-long Race for the Card. With her fifth top-10 finish this season, she has continued to climb in the standings, as last week saw the American move up another six spots with 1,107.602 points, ultimately bumping Fiona Xu to No. 2 with 1,033.533 points.
Lauren Stephenson’s victory at Pinehaven Country Club in Guilderland, New York, moved her from No. 28 to No. 3 in the Race, and she currently trails Porvasnik by 106.519 points.
After a T17 finish at the Twin Bridges Championship, Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship Daniela Iacobelli has dropped to solo fourth, sitting roughly 107 points behind Porvasnik with 1,000.675 points. Rounding out the top five is Cassie Porter with 951.598 points, who became a first-time winner with her victory at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship.
Some other significant moves following the Twin Bridges Championship are as follows:
- Dana Fall, who earned a solo fourth-place finish at the Twin Bridge Championship, her four top 10 of the season, went from 26th to 13th with 692.620 total points
- Fatima Fernandez Cano jumped thirteen spots from No. 43 to No. 30 Twin Bridge Championship and now has 507.342 total points
The Race for the Card is a season-long points competition in which Epson Tour members accumulate points in every official Epson Tour tournament. The ultimate goal is to finish in the top 15 in the point standings to earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2025 season. The point-based system, new on the Epson Tour this season, replaces the money-based system and will award points to those who make the cut weekly.
The 2024 season will also be the first year that Epson Tour athletes will vie for 15 LPGA Tour cards. They will be awarded after the season-ending Epson Tour Championship in Indian Wells, Calif., this fall.
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