LPGA rookie Akie Iwai joined twin sister Chisato as a first-time winner on LPGA after her dominating victory at the Stanford Portland Classic.
The Iwais are the fourth sister act to win on the LPGA, and the first set of twins. Sister sets have been part of the tour since the beginning. Alice Bauer and Marlene Hagge-Vossler were both founders of the LPGA in 1950. While Hagge-Vossler won 26 times on the LPGA, Bauer never did win, becoming a mother shortly after the tour started.
How much of an impact is it to have a sister by your side? Three have risen to No. 1 in the world.
Chisato, who tied for third in Portland, won earlier this year at the Mexico Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba. Together they have 14 wins on the JLPGA. Akie rose to No. 24 in the world after her victory; Chisato ranks 30th.
Here’s a look at three other winning sister acts on the LPGA:
Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam
Charlotta Sorenstam, known as “Lotta,” is two years younger than Annika. Her lone victory on the LPGA came in 2000 at the Standard Register Ping, where she defeated Karrie Webb by two strokes. She also joined her sister on the 1998 European Solheim Cup team. Charlotta won the 1993 NCAA Championship title at Texas. Annika had won it two years prior while at Arizona.
Annika, of course, is a 72-time winner on the LPGA, including 10 majors. After Charlotta’s playing career ended, she worked as the head teaching professional at her sister’s academy. She currently works as a Performance Coach at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn
The Thai sisters teamed up to win an LPGA title at the Dow Championship four years ago. The elder Moriya, 31, who goes by “Mo,” is a three-time winner on the LPGA.
Ariya, 29, is known as “May” and joined the LPGA two years after her sister. A 12-time winner on the LPGA, Ariya became the first Thai player, male or female, to win a major championship and rise to No. 1 in the world. Ariya won the 2016 Women’s British Open and 2018 U.S. Women’s Open.
Jessica and Nelly Korda
Nelly Korda points to older sister Jessica as a major inspiration to her decorated LPGA career. The longtime No. 1 is now a 15-time winner on tour and a two-time major champion.
At 27, Nelly is five years younger than Jessica, who is currently on maternity leave. Jessica won six times on the LPGA between 2012 and 2021 and is eyeing a 2026 return to the tour. Earlier this year, Jessica worked as an on-course reporter for coverage of the Amundi Evian Championship, following Nelly’s group.
Read the full article here