Jenny Bae cracks top 50 in LPGA for first time, makes Solheim push

Jenny Bae climbed 23 spots in the Rolex Rankings after taking a share of third at the Mizuho Americas Open. It marked a third career top-5 finish for the Georgian, who now ranks 49th in the world. Bae, who closed with a 66 on Sunday in New Jersey, has climbed a total of 37 spots in her second year on tour.

In nine starts this season, Bae has five top-25 finishes. It's no wonder U.S. Solheim Cup captain Angela Stanford invited her to a gathering of potential players at Juli Inkster's house ahead of the Fortinet Founders Cup near San Francisco.

The petite but powerful Bae, who grew up on a chicken farm in tiny Maysville, Georgia, won the Juli Inkster Award as the nation's top golfer in her final season of eligibility at the University of Georgia.

Jenny Bae of the United States plays a shot on the 11th hole during the final round of the Mizuho Americas Open 2026 at Mountain Ridge Country Club on May 10, 2026 in West Caldwell, New Jersey.

Another young American making moves is LPGA rookie Melanie Green, last year's Epson Tour Player of the Year. Green has a pair of top-10 finishes this season and a T-20 last week at Mizuho. The former Curtis Cup player and British Amateur champion has jumped 91 spots in the Rolex Rankings since the year started. She's currently 119th.

Green also grew up in small-town America, coming out of Medina, New York, to become the first American in 28 years to win the British Amateur at Portmarnock Golf Club in Ireland.

“The way she carried herself on the golf course, it was palpably different than her fellow competitors,” said former University of South Florida coach Erika Brennan on recruiting Green. “There was an edge to her; there was a want. You could see the fire.”