NORTON, Mass. — The second playing of the FM Championship is on tap this week for the LPGA Tour’s best, as 144 of the world’s best athletes descend upon TPC Boston for what’s quickly becoming one of the organization’s signature tournaments. After round one in Massachusetts, there are three athletes who could wind up being compelling contenders over the weekend in the year’s 23rd event. Take a look at a few players to watch over the next 54 holes at the FM Championship.

Jeeno Thitikul

Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul is the favorite this week at the FM Championship, a fairly obvious choice considering how well the Thailand native has played this season. She has picked up one victory at the Mizuho Americas Open and eight additional top-10 results in her 15 starts ahead of competing at TPC Boston, six of which were actually top-five performances and two of which came at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (T4) and The Amundi Evian Championship (2).

Statistically, the 22-year-old is also one of the strongest athletes on the LPGA Tour, leading the organization in scoring average (69.47), strokes gained total (+2.68), top-10 finishes (9), percentage of rounds in the 60s (55.1 percent) and birdie to bogey ratio (2.09), according to pre-tournament data provided by KPMG Performance Insights. She is additionally in the top 10 of strokes gained putting (5, +1.03), strokes gained tee to green (6, +1.53) and strokes gained approach (8, +0.93).

This is Thitikul’s second start in the FM Championship, and she tied for fourth in the inaugural edition of the tournament at TPC Boston, a finish that kicked off an incredible run of golf for Thitikul that culminated in a victory at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, a win that earned her a $4 million first-place check. The five-time LPGA Tour winner opened with a 3-under 69 on Thursday in Norton, Mass.

Jin Young Ko

Former Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko finished runner-up last season at the FM Championship after falling in a playoff to her fellow countrywoman Haeran Ryu at TPC Boston. She’ll be looking to hoist the trophy this week in Norton, Mass., as the 15-time LPGA Tour winner is teeing it up in her 17th tournament of the 2025 season and remains in pursuit of what’s been an elusive 16th career title. The 30-year-old has tallied four top-10 finishes so far this year, the most recent and most notable of which is a tie for sixth that Ko recorded in April at The Chevron Championship.

Looking at KPMG Performance Insights data, the two-time major champion was leading the Tour in proximity to the hole from 125 to 150 yards (21 feet 11 inches), ranked fifth in strokes gained approach (+0.99) and was ninth in overall average proximity (25 feet 6 inches) ahead of this week’s tournament. Ko was additionally ranked inside the top 25 in strokes gained tee to green (12, +1.17) and strokes gained total (21, +1.28). She kicked off her second berth in the FM Championship with a 72 on Thursday, an early performance she will need to improve upon if she wants an opportunity to go low over the weekend just outside of Bean Town.

Linn Grant

Linn Grant didn’t compete in the first playing of the FM Championship, but she is certainly a player to keep an eye on this week at TPC Boston. This facility is one that is quite demanding off the tee, and considering the Swede is one of the better drivers of the golf ball on the LPGA Tour and carded a 2-under 70 on day one, she could be someone to watch as the FM Championship continues to develop.

According to KPMG Performance Insights, before this week, the 26-year-old was ranked third in strokes gained off the tee (+0.80), and in the last four years, she has gained one or more strokes off the tee in 48 percent of her rounds since becoming an LPGA Tour member back in 2022. She was additionally 18th in average driving distance, hitting it 271.47 yards off the tee on average in each event, ranked ninth in driving and 11th in ball striking (31).

Players to Watch After Round 1 of the 2025 FM Championship

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