CHANDLER, Ariz. — The LPGA Tour is competing this week at Whirlwind Golf Club for the second-ever Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. With a strength of field rating that’s currently well over 700, an incredible battle is sure to unfold in Chandler, Ariz., as the world’s best players duke it out for a winner’s check of $337,500 and always-valuable points in the season-long Race to the CME Globe. And while defending champion and Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Nelly Korda is the player who every fan’s eyes will be on in the Grand Canyon State, there are several other athletes who could make a run at the Ford Championship title this week in the desert.

Here are three players to watch as they tee it up at Whirlwind Golf Club in the sixth event of the 2025 LPGA Tour season.

Jeeno Thitikul

Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul is one of the clear favorites at the 2025 Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass, as the 22-year-old superstar has been on a tear of excellent golf that dates back to the FM Championship in August 2024. In that time, she has recorded nine consecutive top-10 finishes, including a victory at the CME Group Tour Championship, a win that saw her earn a $4 million winner’s check, the largest single prize in all of women’s golf. Her consecutive top-10 result streak was broken at the Blue Bay LPGA when Thitikul tied for 12th, but she will be looking to jumpstart a new run of top 10s this week at Whirlwind Golf Club. She hasn’t played a ton of desert golf on the LPGA Tour since joining the organization in 2022; however, the young talent has had some success in these types of conditions, winning the PIF Saudi Ladies Invitational earlier this season on the Ladies European Tour and tying for 16th at the 2023 LPGA Drive On Championship, which was held at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club in Gold Canyon, Ariz. Looking at data provided by KPMG Performance Insights, Thitikul has led the Tour in scoring average (69.1), strokes gained total (+2.62) and strokes gained putting (+1.43) since the Mizuho Americas Open in 2024. Additionally, through her first three starts this year, she is third in strokes gained total (+2.85), fourth in birdie or better percentage and tied for seventh in rounds in the 60s (7), also ranking eighth in scoring average (69.17), a slate of stats that point to Thitikul once again being a contender for the Ford Championship title.

Celine Boutier

Celine Boutier might not be a name that stands out when talking desert golf, but the Frenchwoman has had prior success in events like the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. She won the 2023 LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain a couple of years ago after defeating major champion Georgia Hall in a playoff and has also earned two top-20 finishes in the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards event that is annually held in Las Vegas, tying for 17th in 2021 and then tying for fifth in 2023. This is Boutier’s sixth straight start of the 2025 LPGA Tour season, and in her five previous tournaments, the 31-year-old has played some pretty steady golf, tying for 14th at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and tying for seventh at the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands to kick off her year. Then, during the spring Asian swing, Boutier tied for 28th at the Honda LPGA Thailand, tied for 29th at the HSBC Women’s World Championship and tied for 30th at the Blue Bay LPGA. Statistically, Boutier is second on Tour in birdies (80), tied for fourth in sub-par rounds (12) and tied for seventh in rounds in the 60s (7), but she has yet to really make an impact in any strokes gained categories this early in the year. However, considering her past experiences playing desert-style courses, don’t count the six-time LPGA Tour winner out this week at the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass.

Sarah Schmelzel

Because Sarah Schmelzel has yet to pick up her first title on the LPGA Tour, she likely feels like a bit of a long shot this week at Whirlwind Golf Club. But Schmelzel is a Phoenix native and has a wealth of experience teeing it up in the desert, giving her a distinct advantage over the rest of the field at the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. She played particularly well in this tournament last year, tying for eighth when it was held at Seville Golf and Country Club in Gilbert, Ariz. after carding rounds of 68-63-70-71, the second of which is her second-lowest career round on the LPGA Tour. She also tied for 17th at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards in 2021 and tied for 18th at the 2019 Founders Cup when that event was contested at Wildfire Golf Club. This is Schmelzel’s fifth start of the 2025 season, and in her four tournaments before the Ford Championship, she has collected two top-25 finishes, tying for 23rd at the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands and then tying for fifth at the Blue Bay LPGA a few weeks ago in the People’s Republic of China. Statistically, the 30-year-old doesn’t stand out just yet in any major strokes gained category, but considering her familiarity with a layout like the one those in the Ford Championship field will be tackling this week, Schmelzel is a dark horse to keep a close eye on as the tournament develops at Whirlwind Golf Club.

Players to Watch: 2025 Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass

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