Tag: 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

Rookie Hae Ran Ryu wins first LPGA title at Walmart NW Arkansas

Lexi Thompson, fresh off the Solheim Cup, posts first top-10 of the season on the LPGA.

Rookie Hae Ran Ryu began the final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship with a two-stroke advantage, and when the leaderboard bunched up Sunday afternoon, Ryu hit the gas on the back nine with a closing 29 to win by three.

The shot of the day came when Ryu hit her second shot within inches of an albatross on the par-5 14th. The well-struck 7-iron set up a short eagle putt.

Ryu, a five-time winner on the KLPGA, finished the tournament at 19-under 194 for the 54-hole event. She’s the fifth rookie to win this season, setting a new LPGA benchmark.

Sweden’s Linnea Strom finished solo second after a closing 64.

Ryu said she struggled with distance control on the front nine, recording a couple of bogeys after hitting her approach shots too far. She adjusted, and checked off a major goal for the year.

“Before the season, I want to get a Rookie of the Year,” said Ryu, “but now I got winner on the LPGA and I want to get Rookie of the Year and so now, so meaningful.”

Ryu came into the Arkansas event with a 113-point lead in the rookie race despite not yet winning on tour.

Lexi Thompson, coming off a strong Solheim Cup showing, posted her best finish of the season. The veteran American player briefly held a share of the lead at the midway point but played the last six holes in even par. Still, her closing 66 gives momentum to what’s easily been the worst season of her career. Prior to the Arkansas event, Thompson’s lone top-20 finish of the year came at the Kroger Queen City Championship.

“It’s the highest honor,” said Thompson of playing in her sixth Solheim last week, “and to be able to pull off some good shots and make some putts for my country, there is absolutely no better feeling.”

Lexi Thompson of the United States plays her shot from the 16th tee during the Final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G at Pinnacle Country Club on October 01, 2023 in Rogers, Arkansas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Bianca Pagdanganan shot 65-64 over the weekend to vault into a share of third. The long-hitting Pagdanganan was 179th coming into the week on the CME points list and and in danger of losing her card. She’s projected to move to 77th after her strong performance in Rogers, Arkansas.

Pagdanganan played the last three holes birdie-birdie-eagle.

Ryu took home $345,000 for the victory.

Lydia Ko led the LPGA money list last year and made $4M, but this year she’s at $200K

Ko counts the 2016 Walmart NW Arkansas event among her 19 wins.

It’s been a minute for Lydia Ko.

The former world No. 1 shot a 65 on Friday in the first round of the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, which is, believe it or not, her best round in a most forgettable season.

Ko had seven birdies and just one bogey and posted her best round of the year so far by a shot. Ko has 19 wins and 102 top-10s in her career but her only top 10 this year came back in February. Her average finish in 2023 is 43rd. She’s played 15 events prior to this week at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, but has missed four cuts. She did make the weekend in three of the five majors but still, this has been the most un-Lydia-Ko-like season.

In 52 rounds in 2023, she’s broken 70 only 15 times, including Friday’s round. Her lowest point this year came a month ago in the third round of the CPKC Women’s Open, where she bottomed out with a 10-over 82.

She’s 84th on the LPGA’s 2023 money list with $209,776. She won the money title a year ago with $4,364,403.

Maybe this is the spark that gets things turned around.

“I played pretty solid. I don’t think I put myself in too many crazy positions where I had to make up and down. Actually hit it in the water on the par-3, 6 or 5, whatever it is, and I had to drop and I chipped it in for par. So that was definitely good momentum because I had gone birdie, bogey, birdie, and if I didn’t chip it in, would’ve been bogey or more,” she said, recounting her round. “So I think that just helped my day going. I set up a lot of good birdie opportunities, especially from 9 onwards, and couple where it was only like a couple feet. So it’s definitely nice to have those kind of stress-free birdies.”

Ko counts the 2016 Walmart NW Arkansas event among her 19 wins. She noted that seven years ago seems like a long time.

“I see the picture of me in the clubhouse and it feels like a really long time ago. It was 2016, so like seven years ago. A lot of things have happened since then,” she said. “It’s always good to be back at a place where I have a lot of good memories. Played with the same pro-am group for eight years, so it’s just feel like it’s home away from home. Outside of my golf, just seeing them is also like a treat for me when I come here to Arkansas.”

Ko has one of six first-round 65s, which are all tied for the lead. Also in the group is Christina Kim and Hannah Green.

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