It’s been an impressive display of parity on the LPGA Tour this season, as there have been 26 different champions across 25 official events so far this year. The current record for different winners in a single season on the LPGA Tour is 26, a benchmark that was set in 1995 and matched in 2018 and 2022 before being tied again in 2025.

It was Republic of Korea native Youmin Hwang who became the 26th different athlete to hoist a trophy this year with her non-member victory at the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei, a number that excludes the rain-shortened Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, which was deemed unofficial after only 18 holes were completed.

And now, through 36 holes at the Buick LPGA Shanghai in the People’s Republic of China, the different winners streak that dates back to the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions looks primed to continue, meaning a new LPGA Tour record of different champions is likely to be set when a victor is crowned on Sunday.

Japan’s Minami Katsu, who was one of two athletes alongside Sarah Schmelzel tied for first at Pinnacle Country Club when play was ultimately called because of inclement weather, currently leads the way at 13-under after blitzing Qizhong Garden Golf Club with an 11-under 61 in the second round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai.

The 27-year-old made one bogey and a whopping 12 birdies on Friday in what’s her third appearance in this event, six of which came in her final seven holes, a stretch that culminated with Katsu ramming in a 39-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th hole to set a new 18-hole tournament scoring record.

Katsu is closely trailed by rookie Ina Yoon, who sits alone in second at 11-under overall and who, like the 36-hole leader, is also trying to become a Rolex First-Time Winner in China. Veteran Lindy Duncan and first-year Tour member Jenny Bae are tied for third at 10-under in pursuit of their first LPGA victories, and there are three players tied for fifth at 8-under, one of whom is 18-hole leader Arpichaya Yubol, who would be the eighth Thai athlete to win at least once on Tour if she were to get the job done in China.

However, also in that three-way tie for third are Jeeno Thitikul and Somi Lee, both of whom have picked up wins this season. Current Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Thitikul secured her fifth career victory at the Mizuho Americas Open in May, beating Celine Boutier by four strokes at Liberty National Golf Club.

Somi Lee won the Dow Championship in June alongside her playing partner Jin Hee Im, a victory that saw both athletes become Rolex First-Time Winners after they defeated Megan Khang and Lexi Thompson in a playoff at Midland Country Club.

Four players are tied for eighth at 8-under and round out the top 10 through 36 holes at the Buick LPGA Shanghai. Two of those athletes are major champions Minjee Lee and A Lim Kim, each of whom has recorded a win in 2025 at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, respectively.

They are joined by Frenchwoman Pauline Roussin-Bouchard and Chinese amateur Shiyuan Zhou, who will be hunting for their first professional wins on the LPGA Tour over the weekend. Roussin-Bouchard has won on the Ladies European Tour in the past, while Zhou has previously been victorious on the China LPGA Tour.

And even though the low scores that have been fired throughout the week prove that it’s certainly still anyone’s tournament to win at the Buick LPGA Shanghai, having seven different athletes who have yet to claim a victory in 2025 in the top 11 on the leaderboard at Qizhong Garden Golf Club is a good indication that a new LPGA Tour record will be added to the history books on Sunday in the People’s Republic of China.

Different Winners Record Appears Primed to Be Broken at Buick LPGA Shanghai

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