Hope is on the horizon for embattled Americans on the LPGA Tour

By Ron Sirak | Mar 30, 2017Special to espnW.com

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Nelly Korda, 18, comes into this week's ANA Inspiration at No. 32 on the money list.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- From 1950, when the LPGA was founded, through 1993, the leading money winner was an American every year except 1987, when Ayako Okamoto of Japan grabbed the title. Since 1994, when England's Laura Davies was the top earner, Stacy Lewis in 2014 has been the only Yank to lead the women in cash collected.

This year, the annual lament of "What's wrong with the Americans" is softened by a fresh wave of homegrown talent offering new hope. A trio of teenagers may soon be making waves on the LPGA.

Nelly Korda, 18, from Bradenton, Florida, and the sister of tour winner Jessica Korda, comes into this week's ANA Inspiration at No. 32 on the money list and some see her as a dark horse to make the U.S. Solheim Cup team. She cut her chops last year on the Symetra Tour, where she was ninth on the money list and won once.

Megan Khang, 19, from Rockland, Massachusetts, was second last year on the LPGA Rookie of the Year points list, easily keeping her card by earning more than $335,000.

Angel Yin, 18, of Arcadia, California, had an impressive 2016 debut on the Ladies European Tour, finishing 11th on the money list and second in driving distance at a robust 265 yards per wallop. She earned an LPGA card by being third at qualifying school in December.

What the trio has in common, besides obvious talent, is that each has eased her way into the major league despite youth, playing a lot of amateur golf and then lesser tours before taking on the LPGA. What they also have in common is no fear of being viewed as saviors of American golf.

Asked why players born outside the United States have been dominating women's golf, Yin says: "They haven't seen me yet," punctuating the sentence with a laugh that makes it clear she's joking.

All you need to do to understand the wry wit of Yin is follow her on Twitter. Even her handle (@angelylol) comes with a wink.

On March 18 she tweeted:

On Feb. 23 she posted:

The endearing innocence of Yin is revealed in a story told by Hall of Fame player Judy Rankin, who is now a TV commentator. Rankin was dining with Yin a couple weeks ago when someone asked Yin if she was in the field at the ANA. Yin said: "How do you know if you're in?" And she was told to look at the priority list.

"So now she gets on her phone and she is looking at this priority list," Rankin says, laughing as she tells the story. "She's flying by the seat of her pants. And she's a very nice and engaging young girl, and I think usually if you're really talented and you're in that relaxed mode it's a good combination."

All three say the biggest change from amateur golf is the amount of tournaments they play -- in the mid 20s rather than a half-dozen a year -- and the length of the courses.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Megan Khang, 19, was second last year on the LPGA Rookie of the Year points list.

Korda says her experience last year on the Symetra Tour was invaluable.

"I learned to take it easy," she says. "And I learned to trust my ability. I don't have to be different now that I'm on the big tour. I got here with the way I play so why change anything."

While aware American fans are looking for their next star, Korda is neither motivated nor intimidated by the attention. "Representing the United States is a great honor," she says. "But I just take it week to week, shot to shot. You just have to focus on playing the best you can and not think of that other stuff."

Karen Stupples, who won the 2004 Women's British Open and is now a TV commentator, is impressed by Korda.

"I think you can definitely count on [her] being a serious contender," Stupples says. "She has all the game you could wish for, and a really healthy attitude towards playing golf and a big sister who is there for her every step of the way, can give her advice, help her in any way she needs. I think she has a pretty good chance to be in the running for a Solheim Cup place this year."

All three of the teens see the challenge not as being the best of the Americans but rather simply being the best.

"Some weeks the best out here is from Thailand, or New Zealand, or a Korean or an American," says Khang.

Right now, there is reason for fans to think one of these three could make that best player an American a little more often.

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