Tag: Danielle Kang

Danielle Kang makes her 17th (!) ace at LPGA stop in Palos Verdes

“It’s sometimes luck,” said Kang, “but I absolutely pured it.”

Danielle Kang notched the 17th ace of her life during the opening round of the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship on Thursday.

“It’s sometimes luck,” said Kang, “but I absolutely pured it.”

Kang struck a 5-iron exactly as she planned on the par-3 11th hole (her second of the day) from 174 yards. She wanted to land the ball short and let it run up to the hole.

“I just hit my 5-iron exactly where I wanted to hit it and we all just kind of stared it down, and Andrea (Lee) just reacted so cute,” said Kang. “She was just like, ‘Oh, my God, oh, my God.’ She screamed.”

Kang, who opened with a 71 at Palos Verdes Golf Club in California, said 17 is her lucky number.

“Actually, I’ve had four hole-in-ones on the 17th day,” she said. “I’ve had five holes-in-one on the 17th hole. … I’ve had three holes-in-one in on the 17th hole with the 17 number ball.”

The list goes on: Kang was 17 years old when she won her first U.S. Women’s Amateur title on the 17th hole at Charlotee Country Club. She won her first major title in 2017. She played in her first Solheim in 2017, too.

“Yeah, just there is so much that has happened at 17, that it’s just been my lucky number,” she said.

“And then I’ve been waiting for my 17th hole-in-one for a while.”

LPGA returns to China, where Danielle Kang is a two-time winner, after three-year hiatus

LPGA begins its four-week Asian swing in China for the first time since 2019.

The LPGA returns to China this week for the first time since 2019 for the third edition of the Buick LPGA Shanghai. Danielle Kang, winner of the event in 2018 and 2019, returns to Qizhong Garden Golf Club to try for a Shanghai trifecta.

The event had been canceled the past three seasons due to ongoing COVID-19-related restrictions.

The field in Shanghai consists of 62 LPGA players, 15 players from the China Golf Association and four sponsor invites competing for a $2.1 million purse in the 72-hole, no-cut event. Four players inside the top 10 of the Rolex Rankings are in the field.

Some on the LPGA have raised concerns in the past about the tour continuing to compete in China. Amy Olson told Golfweek two years ago that she didn’t feel it was safe there for players. Olson said too many have turned a blind eye to the mass imprisonment and persecution of the Uyghurs by the Chinese government in the Xinjiang province. What’s more, Olson continued, Chinese officials weren’t transparent with what was happening in their hospitals and within their borders during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As an organization that stands up for women’s rights and has fought day in and day out for those rights,’’ said Olson, who is currently on maternity leave, “what China has done flies directly in the face of everything we stand for.”

Like Olson, Angela Stanford has made a personal commitment not to compete in China or Saudi Arabia due to human rights concerns.

Shanghai is the first of four events on the LPGA’s Asia swing, with the tour heading to South Korea next for the BMW Ladies Championship, followed by a return to Malaysia for the Maybank Championship and a final stop in Japan for the Toto Japan Classic.

Here’s a closer look at the field:

Danielle Kang’s thoughtful reason for the names she wrote on her shoes at the 2023 Solheim Cup

“I wanted to represent them the best that I can, and I was playing for something bigger than I,” said Kang.

CASARES, Spain — Danielle Kang ended the 2023 Solheim Cup with a 2-2-0 record that featured a dominant 4-and-2 Sunday singles win over Europe’s Charley Hull.

The 30-year-old has become a key factor for the U.S. side over the last four events. She begs for noise on the first tee from the crowd and drips personality and swag all over the golf course. You can tell her confidence wears off on her teammates.

“I think on first tee, I was definitely pretty nervous.  The crowds are the biggest I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Kang’s foursomes partner Andrea Lee on Friday. “But I think I settled in pretty quickly and having Danielle there is — she’s really reliable, so I just had tons of fun out there, stayed really patient.”

One of the older, more experienced players on a young, five-rookie U.S. side, this week meant a little more to Kang. She embraced her role as a leader and wanted to stand and fight for everyone who donned the red, white and blue at Finca Cortesin. One way of doing so was to write the names of everyone involved with Team USA on her golf shoes.

2023 Solheim Cup
A detailed view of the shoes worn by Danielle Kang of Team USA on the 11th green during Day Two of The Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin Golf Club on September 23, 2023 in Casares, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“I was so honored to be on this team, to experience what I experienced this week,” said Kang after Sunday’s final session. “People kept asking me about my shoes and why I wrote everyone’s name on there, and no, it didn’t come like that. But there was not a single person, caddies, players, staff, captain, assistant captains that I didn’t want to represent.  I wanted to represent them the best that I can, and I was playing something bigger than I.  I played the best I have all year, so I’m very proud.”

“Listen, when I’m old and gray one day and look back, I’m going to remember our team rooms where (Megan Khang) and (Angel Yin) and all these girls were hyping us up, and I wish you guys had a camera. I wish people could experience what I experienced last night and this week because it was unbelievable,” she continued. “Looking back, (European captain Suzann Pettersen) telling me, ‘If it was any other match, it would have already been done, but we are 10-under, 13-under going in.’ Those are the moments we live for and we built. That’s something that I want to remember. When I retire, when I’m all done with things, it’s not about who won the Cup, it’s about the moment, and we built it.”

Across four caps for the Americans Kang holds a 7-9-0 record and is now 2-2-0 in singles but the Americans fell short of claiming the Cup on Sunday in Spain.

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How each American, European player fared at the 2023 Solheim Cup in Spain

Three players went unbeaten over the three days but only one earned 4 points over the five sessions.

CASARES, Spain — The 2023 Solheim Cup couldn’t have been closer.

The 18th edition of the biennial bash between the United States and Europe was all square at 8-8 entering Sunday singles, and after the final 12 matches – five won by the both teams and two ties – the competition ended in a 14-14 tie, and the Europeans retained the Cup.

In the event’s 23-year history, the Americans have taken home the trophy on 10 occasions, with the Europeans earning the other eight. Team Europe hasn’t lost since 2017 in Iowa.

Spain’s Carlota Ciganda was the only player to score four points this week (4-0-0) and was one of four players who went unbeaten, joining Gemma Dryburgh (0-0-2), Megan Khang (3-0-1) and Cheyenne Knight (2-0-1). Two players went winless for each team, but only one failed to earn a point.

Here’s a breakdown of how each player fared this week by event at the 2023 Solheim Cup.

MORE: Sunday singles results | Best shots | Crazy fans

European records

Player Overall (W-L-T) Singles (W-L-T) Foursomes (W-L-T) Fourball (W-L-T)
Celine Boutier 0-3-0 0-1-0 0-2-0 0-0-0
Charley Hull 1-2-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 1-0-0
Linn Grant 3-2-0 0-1-0 1-1-0 2-0-0
Georgia Hall 1-2-1 0-0-1 0-2-0 1-0-0
Leona Maguire 3-2-0 1-0-0 0-2-0 2-0-0
Carlota Ciganda 4-0-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 2-0-0
Anna Nordqvist 1-3-0 1-0-0 0-2-0 0-1-0
Maja Stark 2-1-1 1-0-0 1-1-0 0-0-1
Madelene Sagstrom 1-1-1 0-1-0 0-0-0 1-0-1
Gemma Dryburgh 0-0-2 0-0-1 0-0-0 0-0-1
Emily Pedersen 2-2-1 0-1-0 1-1-0 1-0-1
Caroline Hedwall 1-1-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-1-0

American records

Player Overall (W-L-T) Singles (W-L-T) Foursomes (W-L-T) Fourball (W-L-T)
Lilia Vu 1-3-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-2-0
Nelly Korda 2-2-0 0-1-0 2-0-0 0-1-0
Allisen Corpuz 2-1-1 0-1-0 2-0-0 0-0-1
Megan Khang 3-0-1 1-0-0 2-0-0 0-0-1
Lexi Thompson 3-1-0 1-0-0 2-0-0 0-1-0
Jennifer Kupcho 0-2-1 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-1
Ally Ewing 1-3-0 0-1-0 1-0-0 0-2-0
Rose Zhang 0-3-1 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-1-1
Danielle Kang 2-2-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 0-1-0
Angel Yin 2-1-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-1-0
Andrea Lee 1-2-1 0-0-1 1-1-0 0-1-0
Cheyenne Knight 2-0-1 0-0-1 1-0-0 1-0-0

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2023 Solheim Cup Friday morning foursomes pairings feature struggling Lexi Thompson out first

World No. 2 Lilia Vu is on the bench for the opening matches, as is rising star Rose Zhang.

CASARES, Spain — The opening tee shots of the 2023 Solheim Cup are just hours away and the first group of pairings have officially been announced.

Friday morning’s foursomes pairings and matches at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast were released during the opening ceremony Thursday night at nearby Marbella Arena, with none other than U.S. star Lexi Thompson, who has struggled this year, set to take the first swing alongside Megan Khang against European and Swedish rookies, Linn Grant and Maja Stark.

Notably on the bench for the American side are world No. 2 Lilia Vu, who won two major championships this season, as well as rising star Rose Zhang, who has a penchant for match play.

“I wanted to get off to a good start. I wanted to get out four really good pairings and that’s kind of been my focus this whole time,” said U.S. captain Stacy Lewis. “So it was more about who matched up together versus even — I didn’t even look at who was sitting, to be honest. I wasn’t even worried about who was sitting. It was more just what are my best four options.”

“For my sake, I feel like I’ve had these four pairings down on paper for quite a few months now,” added European captain Suzann Pettersen. “It was more like in what order do you play ’em.”

Check out the four matches and pairings, as well as the eight players who will ride the pine pony for the first session of matches at the 2023 Solheim Cup. (Note: Spain is six hours ahead of Eastern Time in the U.S.)

MEET THE TEAMS: Europe | USA

Solheim Cup players, captains explain the test provided by the hilly host, Finca Cortesin

A drivable par-4 1st hole sets a unique tone for what fans should expect to see this week in Spain.

CASARES, Spain — When’s the last time you saw a drivable par 4 on the first hole of a golf course?

Fans who tune in to the 2023 Solheim Cup this week at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast will be treated to the rarity as the opening hole will provide a risk-reward option for players right from the jump.

A lot of the pre-match discussion this week from both players and captains has been about the unique test that this year’s host course will provide. The course at Finca Cortesin offers wide fairways and will bless the good shots and penalize the poor ones. Not only that, the heat and hills will make the 18th matches between the United States and Europe an equal parts physical and mental test for players and their caddies.

Here’s what the stars of the week had to say about this year’s host course as the Solheim Cup is held in Spain for the first time in its nearly two-decade history.

Lost and found: Danielle Kang now has two sets of clubs at 2023 Solheim Cup after travel issues

Kang’s original set arrived in time for Wednesday’s practice round in Spain.

CASARES, Spain — Danielle Kang went from having zero sets of golf clubs to two sets at the 2023 Solheim Cup.

After two days of practice at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast, the 30-year-old still didn’t have her golf clubs, but on Tuesday she addressed how her putter made the trip because she packs it separately in a rifle case so that it doesn’t get bent.

On Wednesday morning, U.S. captain Stacy Lewis shared on social media that not one, but two sets of clubs had arrived for Kang, who is set to make her fourth appearance for the Americans this week.

MORE: Get to know Team USA at the Solheim Cup

Kang plays Titleist clubs, but the folks at Ping who are on-site put together a set for her on Tuesday so she could play during the morning practice round. Titleist shipped a second set that was scheduled to arrive late Tuesday night.

Regarding the use of a rifle case for storing and traveling with her putter, Kang said she took an idea to famed club designer Scotty Cameron and then watched excitedly as it came to life. Together they made three different molds to safely hold the club.

“My putter is a different model, so we don’t have the bending machine for it,” Kang said on Tuesday in Spain. “It bends a lot during travel, so I put it in a separate case to travel with because I don’t have the means to get my putter checked every week. And, yes, the clubs do get bent on the plane and, yes, they matter, to all the people wondering.”

Kang, for the record, ranks second on tour in putts per green in regulation. Cameron stamped “DK Special” on the bottom of their one-of-a-kind creation.

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Contributing: Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols

Lexi Thompson dishes on Solheim Cup leadership role, puts 2023 struggles in the past

“Might not have been the year that I wanted, but this is this week I’m not focusing on the past,” said Thompson.

CASARES, Spain — When United States Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis made her picks for this week’s event at Finca Cortesin she didn’t shy away from addressing automatic qualifier Lexi Thompson’s struggles this season.

“There are definitely some concerns about her game, a hundred percent,” said Lewis last month. “Talking to her, though, she’s been handling all of this remarkably well. I’ve said it before, but you see her off the golf course and you would never know that she’s struggling like she is right now.”

By Thompson’s lofty standards, struggling is an understatement. Over 11 starts this season on the LPGA the 28-year-old has missed eight cuts, with three finishes of T-31, T-47 and most recently T-19 at the Kroger Queen City Championship earlier this month, where she was coming off a streak of five missed cuts. Thompson qualified for her sixth Solheim Cup, this time off her world ranking, and will be the most-tenured player for Team USA this week at the beautiful Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast. After making her debut as an 18-year-old in 2013, Thompson has earned a 6-6-7 record (1-1-3 in singles).

“She is not going to quit and she is not going to give up on the golf course, and sometimes I think that’s the most important thing in Solheim Cups and team events,” added Lewis.

“Might not have been the year that I wanted, but this is this week I’m not focusing on the past,” said Thompson during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “I’m here with my team this week and going to represent my best.”

“It’s like Justin Thomas said, any shot, any moment can change your game,” chimed in Danielle Kang, who has her own personal struggles this week.  “Can’t rely on an entire player’s career on just how she’s been playing lately, right?”

MORE SOLHEIM: Photos | Meet Team USA | Check out Finca Cortesin

Kang will make her fourth appearance for the Red, White and Blue this week, an honor she cherishes every two years when the event is hosted. Thompson agreed and noted how her No. 1 goal is to make the team. Lewis is going to rely on their passion and leadership this week as the American team rolls out five rookies to make their debut.

“I didn’t even know we had that many rookies,” admitted Kang. “Throughout the entire year for two years everyone plays their own game and competes against each other, competes against the field, but rookies or veterans or not, I think our team is really strong and they have been playing really great golf.”

Lilia Vu won two majors this season at the Chevron Championship and AIG Women’s Open. Allisen Corpuz claimed the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open. Andrea Lee won last year, Cheyenne Knight is a two-time winner on tour, and 20-year-old Rose Zhang won her professional debut earlier this year.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a rookie or a third time on Solheim Cup,” said Kang, “they all act like their own leaders and they know how to approach their own games, and I think it’s very inspiring to see, no matter who it may be.”

“I believe that we’re all leaders in our own way,” echoed Thompson. “We come into this week and we bring a strength of ours to the whole team and the captains and assistant captains. It’s not somebody overpowering the other. It’s all about just coming together as a team.”

Modest and supportive of her teammates she may be, Thompson will be heavily relied upon this week in Spain. The stroke play form hasn’t been there this year, but the Solheim Cup poses a different question compared to weekly LPGA stops and it’s one she’s answered correctly in the past. The 11-time winner has been undefeated in two different Solheim Cups (while playing at least four matches) with a 2-0-2 showing in both 2015 and 2017.

As an amateur for Team USA, Thompson was undefeated for three consecutive years: 3-0-1 at the 2010 Curtis Cup and 3-0-0 at both the 2009 Junior Solheim Cup and 2008 Junior Ryder Cup.

This week she has another chance to do what she does best: score points for Team USA.

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Only one of Danielle Kang’s clubs made it to Spain for the Solheim Cup because she packs it separately in a rifle case

Titleist shipped a second set that’s scheduled to arrive late Tuesday night.

Two days into practice at the 18th Solheim Cup and Danielle Kang still doesn’t have her golf clubs. Well, technically she has one club. Kang packs her putter separately in a rifle case so that it doesn’t get bent.

But the rest of her clubs, well, they never made it to Spain. While Kang plays Titleist clubs, Ping put together a set for her on Tuesday so that she could play Finca Corestin during the morning practice round. Titleist shipped a second set that’s scheduled to arrive late Tuesday night.

One silver lining: Competition doesn’t begin until Friday.

As for that putter, Kang took an idea she had to famed club designer Scotty Cameron and then watched excitedly as that idea came to life. Together they made three different molds.

“I do travel with my putter separately, yes, in a rifle case,” said Kang on Tuesday in Spain, “because my putter is a different model, so we don’t have the bending machine for it, and it bends a lot during travel, so I put it in a separate case to travel with because I don’t have the means to get my putter checked every week and, yes, the clubs do get bent on the plane and, yes, they matter, to all the people wondering.

“So thankfully the putter didn’t get lost. But it’s OK. The other 13 are coming. It’s coming. We have faith. Stacy (Lewis) is on it. I mean, she’s putting out fires, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only one causing fire right now.”

Kang, for the record, ranks second on tour in putts per green in regulation. Cameron stamped “DK Special” on the bottom of their one-of-a-kind creation.

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Danielle Kang’s Solheim Cup week off to a tough start after her clubs never made it to Spain

Kang took to twitter on Monday evening to beg Transavia, a low-cost Dutch airline, for assistance in delivering her golf bag.

There’s never a good time for luggage delays, but the Solheim Cup ranks up there among the worst. Danielle Kang, who struggled with this same issue coming home from the Amundi Evian Championship last month, took to twitter on Monday evening to beg Transavia, a low-cost Dutch airline, for assistance in getting her golf bag on a flight to Malaga.

Team USA arrived in the south of Spain on Sunday and started practicing at Finca Corestin on Monday.

U.S. captain Stacy Lewis also took to twitter asking the airline for help, tweeting, “Would love some help locating a set of golf clubs … kind of a big tournament going on this week!!”

Kang, one of the most experienced players on Team USA, makes her fourth appearance in the Solheim Cup this week. She carries an overall record of 5-7-0.

The competition gets underway this Friday. Europe has won the past two Cups.

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