Why Molly Picklum’s first win in 18 months sets up a golden world title shot

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An “emotional” Molly Picklum has claimed her first Championship Tour victory in almost 18 months to shoot to world No.1 and set up the best title tilt of her career.

Australia’s highest-ranked surfer was in rare spirits after a breakthrough win in Brazil’s Rio Pro overnight, screaming with abandon and accidentally smacking a friend in the face as she was chaired up the beach at Saquarema.

Molly Picklum celebrates her breakthrough win in Brazil.

Picklum has been the most consistent surfer of 2025 with two runners-up finishes and another three third places from eight events, but hadn’t claimed a tour victory since last February.

The 22-year-old Central Coast native has regularly worn the world No.1 leader’s jersey early on in recent seasons before tapering off come finals time, but her Rio Pro victory over Brazil’s Luana Silva heralds a reversal in Picklum’s usual tour narrative.

With almost a 5,000-point lead over Hawaii’s Gabriela Bryan and reigning champion Caitlin Simmers ahead of late-season events at Jeffrey’s Bay (South Africa) and Teahupo’o (Tahiti), Picklum is well-placed to hold the all-important No.1 billing come September’s finals in Fiji.

“I’ve worked so hard this year to really put my best foot forward,” Picklum said after her comprehensive 15 to 9.23 victory over Silva.

“Before I was going out I felt really emotional because I was just like, okay, I get another chance to try and get a victory.

“I’ve had early success in previous years and now to be getting it towards the end is definitely different. I’m enjoying the moment… It means the world to me to get these wins. They don’t come easy these days, the women are so good and I’m so grateful.”

Picklum’s victory at Rio, where she had previously never progressed beyond the quarter-finals, was the third tour event win of her career and first away from Hawaii’s Sunset Beach.

The traditional wave set-up at Jeffrey’s Bay (July 11-20) bodes well for her while she has always been amongst the event favourites when Teahupo’o fires given her prowess as one of the best and bravest barrel-riders on the women’s tour.

The WSL’s winner-takes-all, one-day finals format - which will be overhauled in 2026 - heavily favours the reigning world No.1 given the season’s fifth-placed finisher takes on fourth, with the winner advancing to a heat against the season’s third-ranked surfer and so on.

Should Picklum keep the likes of Bryan and Simmers at bay, the finals move to Cloudbreak in Fiji is also tipped to favour her surfing given it is regarded as a wave of consequence and fast-breaking, left-hand barrel over shallow reef.

Compatriot Isabella Nicholls remains in fifth place in the world rankings while Australian veteran Tyler Wright sits within striking distance in seventh.

American Cole Houshmand produced a win from the clouds in the men’s event at Saquarema while Australian Ethan Ewing’s semi-final appearance lifted him to fifth in the rankings. Fellow Aussie and Olympic silver medallist Jack Robinson is ranked seventh going into the final two events of the regular season.