Top 10 in 2015: LPGA moments

Alison Lee swore she heard someone say her 16-inch putt was “good.” Suzann Pettersen disagreed. The ensuing debate led to tears from both Lee and Pettersen’s teammate Charley Hull, and ultimately instead of a halve, the hole was awarded to Europe. Pettersen and Hull won the match, but the controversy helped to fuel a U.S. rally in singles as the Americans came back from a 10-6 deficit for a stunning victory. Pettersen apologized the next day for “not thinking about the bigger picture in the heat of the battle,” but chances are this incident will be debated for a long time.

Lydia Ko didn’t win the season opener at the Coates Championship, but she walked away with a nice consolation – she became the youngest player, male or female, to reach No. 1. At just 17 years old, Ko beat Tiger Woods’ record by nearly four years. Ko and Inbee Park would trade the top spot for much of the season, but after a win and two top-10s in her last three starts, Ko secured the No. 1 ranking for the rest of the year.

She called her final-round 63 “probably the best round ever,” and it’s easy to see why. Not only did Ko win her first major by six strokes at the Evian, she also became the youngest LPGA major winner in history. Ko was 18 years, 4 months and 20 days old, beating Morgan Pressel’s record. Pressel was 18 years, 10 months and nine days old when she won the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

She didn’t officially win the Solheim Cup for the Americans, but Gerina Piller kept their hopes alive. All Europe needed was a half point, and if Piller missed she would lose her 1-up lead over Caroline Masson and Europe would take home the cup. But Piller made her do-or-die putt, and after starting the singles matches down 10-6, the U.S. won the final five matches to take back the Solheim Cup.

Inbee Park won her first Ricoh Women’s British Open for her seventh major title, but unfortunately instead of her achievement being celebrated, it was mired in debate over what constitutes a Grand Slam after the LPGA added the Evian in 2013 as the fifth major. Park won the Evian in 2012, but she’s won the other four majors. The LPGA says it means she has won the career Grand Slam, and if she wins the Evian it’s a “Super Career Grand Slam.” Golf Channel and The Associated Press disagreed. Park tried to end the debate but instead only added more fuel to the fire when she said, “‘I feel like I’ve won all the majors in women’s golf.’'

After 260 years of being a male-only club, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club voted in February to allow women to join. They welcomed seven women as honorary members - Annika Sorenstam, Laura Davies, Louise Suggs, Princess Anne, Belle Robertson, Renee Powell and Lally Segard. The R&A also stated “a number of women have been admitted as members of the Club with more set to follow in the coming months.”

Seventeen-year-old Brooke Henderson won the Portland Classic in August and just a day later, commissioner Mike Whan approved her petition to waive the LPGA’s requirement that an LPGA member be 18. Henderson followed in the footsteps of Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson, who also were awarded membership after winning before their 18th birthdays. Henderson is now exempt through the end of 2016.

She’s only 20 years old, but Lexi Thompson has already won six LPGA titles, including a major at the 2014 ANA Inspiration. In 2015, Thompson won twice - Meijer LPGA Classic and LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship - and went undefeated at the Solheim Cup. She finished the year at No. 4 in the Rolex rankings, and if Thompson can improve her putting in 2016 - she ranked 114th in putting average - she will have a great chance to challenge Lydia Ko, Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis for the top spot.

The U.S. was down 10-6 starting the singles matches, but it had plenty of motivation after the “gimmegate” controversy surrounding Suzann Pettersen and Alison Lee. Gerina Piller holed an 8-foot par putt to win her match and keep the Americans’ hopes alive. When Paula Creamer won her match, 4 and 3, the U.S. had completed its stunning comeback by winning the last five matches.

Just how good was Lydia Ko in 2015? Inbee Park won five titles, including two majors, and recorded 15 top-10s ... and she didn’t finish the season as the No. 1 player. Ko had the same amount of wins, but with only one major, and two more top-10 finishes. Their battle for No. 1 lasted all season and came down to the final event at the CME Globe. Ko finished tied for seventh and it was just good enough to keep the No. 1 ranking. Park won the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average and earned enough points to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame.