Young American Alexa Pano pursues leader Lydia Ko at LPGA Tournament of Champions

It’s a good year to be an elite American player in women’s golf.

The top of the game is crowded.

Just take a look at the leaderboard of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Six of the top 12 hail from the United States, led by 19-year-old Alexa Pano, who at 10-under-par 206 total sits 2 shots behind New Zealand star Lydia Ko and 2 strokes ahead of American Ally Ewing.

“The state of the American golf is great,” Ewing said following a third-round 68 at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club. “What makes the LPGA really special is that the Americans are great but … it’s a very diverse tour. It makes you want to step up and represent the U.S. the best you can.”

Ewing, age 31 and ranked No. 33 worldwide, and fellow Americans are pushing to represent the U.S. in early August at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and during the Solheim Cup against Europe a month later in northern Virginia.

“We’re a long way from that team being chosen,” Ewing said. ‘I’ve always viewed that the more I focus on that stuff, the more I lose focus on the things that will get me there. For me, it’s showing up each day, each week, trying to take care of my business, and hopefully by the time those teams are chosen, I’ll have a good chance to be on them.”

The limited-field season-opener still could offer a window into the future.

Pano is the youngest competitor in the 35-player field and among a wave of U.S. up-and-comers during the past 12 months.

World No. 1 Lilia Vu, 26, burst onto the scene with a four-win 2023; 25-year-old Allisen Corpuz earned her maiden LPGA victory at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach; Megan Khang, 26, fulfilled her promise with a victory during 191st start, beating Tour stalwart Jin Young Ko in a playoff last August during the CPKC Women’s Open; and 25-year-old Angel Yin won October’s Buick LPGA Shanghai in her 159th start.

The quartet along with 20-year-old phenom Rose Zhang — who is tied for seventh this week at 6-under par — had a hand in 10 of the U.S. Team’s 14 points during the 2023 Solheim Cup.

All told, seven Americans entered the year ranked among top 25, the most since 2015 when stalwarts Stacy Lewis, Michelle Wie, Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer were among nine in the top 25. Thompson, 28 and ranked No. 35, is the only one still competitive on Tour.

“I’ve been lucky where I came on Tour at such a young age,” said the 26-year-old Ko, who picked up her first LPGA win at age 15 and seeks her 20th victory Sunday. “I feel like I’m between two to three generations and not one generation. We’re definitely seeing a bigger variety of players, and obviously a lot of American players that are playing really well.”

At Lake Nona, Pano is the leader of the U.S. pack. To keep Ko within striking distance, she carded a 5-under par 67, a shot better than the leader and the first bogey-free round during Pano’s fledgling LPGA career.

“My game feels like it’s in a very good place, so been a calm, relaxed week,” she said.

A Boston native who resides in Lake Worth, Pano aims hold steady during blustery, overcasts conditions featuring temperatures reaching only the high 50s and 15-mph winds.

The second-year pro has found her footing after a tough start to her LPGA career featuring six missed cuts during her first eight starts in 2023. Pano, though, broke through during her 12th tournament, winning the ISPS Handa World Invitational in northern Ireland. She then followed it with three straight top-25s before closing the season with more inconsistent play.

But Rick Pano, her father and caddie, said his daughter experienced a eureka moment with her putting by simply changing her ball position. It could prove the missing link.

Alexa Pano plays fearlessly, confidently and stoically, said her Thursday playing partner, NBA legend Ray Allen — one of several dozen celebrities from the worlds of music, entertainment and sports in the field. Former NHL All-Star Jeremy Roenick leads with 107 points, two ahead of 2023 winner Derek Lowe and LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, 53 and competing as a celebrity.

“She stays within who she is,” Allen said of Pano. “It didn’t matter how good or bad we played because even if you’re playing good and we’re hitting a long drive or we’re hitting it bad and slowing her down, she played within herself.”

As for Pano’s golf game, Allen said, “She unloads on the ball every time.”

Pano will keep attacking as she looks to keep pace with Ko, who returned to world No. 1 in 2022 but was winless in 2023.

“It’s crazy,” Ko said. “When you’re not performing well you wonder if you’re ever going to perform well.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com.