Tag: Gainbridge lpga

D’Angelo: Lydia Ko knows what it’s like to be on top of the world and she’s headed back there

“When you keep knocking on the door, you feel like at one point it’s going to open,” said Ko.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Lydia Ko looked down at her ball, honed in on the pin, and repeated the process two more times. She then stepped back, lifted the face of her club and pulled out a tee to clean the grooves.

The biggest shot of the Gainbridge LPGA was coming and she was standing in a greenside bunker on the 18th hole at Boca Rio. But having successfully gotten up and down twice before from a bunker, she was confident with what was coming.

“Because of that, I think that made that shot a lot easier,” Ko said.

The ball landed softly on the green and rolled to within about two feet of the cup. After Danielle Kang’s long putt rolled just left of the cup, the outcome was inevitable. Ko made her tap-in for a final-round 69 which put her at 14-under 274 for the tournament, one shot better than Kang, who shot 68 Sunday.

Ko’s resume includes 17 LPGA titles, including two majors, and two Olympic medals, a silver in 2016 and bronze last summer in Tokyo. Not bad for someone who is three months shy of her 25th birthday.

Gainbridge LPGA
Lydia Ko and Danielle Kang hug on the 18th green after Ko defeated Kang by one stroke to win the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club on January 30, 2022 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

But her story is one of a child prodigy whose rise was meteoric, fall was almost as fast and now is using all of those experiences to regain that lofty status.

Ko won her first LPGA event as an amateur at 15 years and four months, surpassing the record set by Lexi Thompson, who was the previous youngest champion after winning at 16 years and seven months. The winner’s share of $300,000 was rewarded to the runner-up who was three strokes back.

Then, she did it again the next year, defending her title once again as an amateur. This time the winning share of $300,000 went to the runner-up who was five shots back.

Finally, later that year, she turned pro and started having those winnings’ checks made out in her name. Checks that now have surpassed $12.6 million.

Then came the rise to No. 1 in the world rankings, which she attained at 17 years and nine months, the youngest professional golfer – woman or man – to be ranked No. 1.

“I heard people say, ‘you make it look easy,’ ” Ko said. “I’m like, ‘trust me it’s not easy.’

“I think when someone is playing so well … they make it look very easy. You know what? They’re putting their 100% energy and still playing amazing golf. I think it almost doesn’t get as much credit as it should.”

The dip came quick. After being No. 1 for 158 weeks, including the third longest consecutive streak of 85 weeks, she started a descent that saw her fall to No. 55 after the 2020 LPGA Drive On Championship. She said she struggled with trying to be who she once was, instead of finding out what worked for her at that time.

“I feel very fortunate about the things that happened earlier in my career,” Ko said. “When I wasn’t playing as well I think I wanted to be the person that I was and … put myself back to when I was No. 1.”

Then came advice from someone who walked her shoes. Stacy Lewis, one of three American golfers who reached No. 1 in world, told Ko she could not retrace those steps.

“Try to be the best player, best person you can be now,” Lewis told her.

“I think hearing that advice from somebody like her, that really helped me to have the confidence and to just believe in the process of sometimes you’re going to take two steps back, but you just keep working and working at just trying to be the best,” Ko said. “I’m just trying to be the best version I can be today.”

The return to the top is a work on progress. Ko reached No. 3 in the world after a top 10 finish last weekend at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando and will remain there when the rankings come out Monday.

“When you keep knocking on the door, you feel like at one point it’s going to open,” she said.

On this day, that door opened with a clutch putt of about 20 feet that she started a couple of feet to the right and curled into the hole for a birdie. That allowed Ko to regain the lead after relinquishing a two-shot advantage entering Sunday on the first three holes.

“That putt on 15 was kind of the momentum shifter,” Ko said.

And shifting momentum is something she knows all about in a career that, at her age, is just getting started for some.

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Lydia Ko holds off Danielle Kang for one-shot win at Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio

Ko shot a final-round 69 to earn her 17th career win and a $300,000 payday.

BOCA RATON — Lydia Ko and Danielle Kang had gone head to head for two days and 35 holes over the Boca Rio Golf Club course, so standing on the 18th tee Sunday afternoon with a one-shot lead, Ko had one thought in mind:

“Please, I don’t want to play this hole again.”

Despite hitting her drive on the 415-yard par-4 finishing hole into a fairway bunker and her 5-iron approach into a greenside bunker, Ko avoided a sudden-death playoff with her good friend, getting up and down for par and a victory in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.

Ko, 24, shot rounds of 63-70-72-69 for a 14-under-par 274 to earn her 17th career triumph and $300,000 on a day that was forecast to be frigid by South Florida standards, but turned out to be gorgeous with cloudless blue skies, light winds and temperatures in the upper 50s.

For Kang, whose runner-up finish followed her victory in the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, her 4-under 68, like too many of her putts Sunday, came up just short.

“I played some really good golf out there. I hit some quality shots, today and yesterday,” said Kang, who was tied with Ko at 11 under after two rounds and was paired with her Saturday.

Ko shot even par that day and Kang, who opened with rounds of 65-68, shot 74 to begin the final day two shots behind.

Lydia Ko kisses the trophy after winning the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club on January 30, 2022 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Both players birdied the par-5 first hole, but Ko bogeyed the second and Kang birdied the third to pull into a tie at 11 under. Both birdied the 11th, then Kang birdied the 12th to take the lead at 13 under.

Kang, 29, a California native who lives in Las Vegas, bogeyed the par-3 13th when she missed the green to the left, pitched on but failed to convert the 5-foot par putt. Ko regained the lead at 13 under with a birdie at the 15th. At the par-5 16th, Ko rolled in her uphill birdie attempt, but Kang made a shorter, more breaking birdie putt on top of it to remain close.

At the par-3 17th, Kang’s birdie putt stopped inches short of the hole and Ko two-putted for par. At the 18th, Kang had about a 20-footer to tie, but it slid just past the hole.

“I felt like she was going to hole it. She putted so good today,” Ko said. “I feel like even the ones that didn’t go in had a high chance of her making.”

“The last hole, that was a really great shot into that pin,” said Kang. “I hit a great putt, but it didn’t break. The greens are really tough to read out here.

“The three-footers were really hard for me because the ball kept sitting in a hole. I hit two putts that were in a hole and they bounced out and didn’t even hit the cup.”

Yuka Saso of Japan shot a 5-under 67, highlighted by birdies on the 17th and 18th holes, to finish third at 12-under 276. Charley Hull of England shot 68 to end up tied for fourth at 11-under with Celine Boutier of France, who shot 69 playing with Ko and Kang.

“I played really well today,” said Hull, who had three birdies on her front nine and two birdies and a bogey on the back. “I started off pretty good and hit it close on the back nine on pretty much most holes. I just couldn’t get the putts going in. I was making good strokes, but just misreading them a little bit.”

Canadian Brooke Henderson, who was 6-under through her first 10 holes with four birdies and an eagle, shot 68 to tie for sixth with Lexi Thompson of Delray Beach at 7 under.

“The front nine was a lot of fun,” Henderson said. “We were making some birdies and I was really running and trying to chase down that lead as best I could. Making the turn, it looked like if I could have a solid back nine I could post a low score in the clubhouse. Unfortunately I didn’t finish off the way I wanted to, but I definitely started the way I wanted to.”

Jessica Korda of Jupiter shot 71 to finish in a seven-way tie for 20th at 2 under that included her sister, Nelly, who will fall to No. 2 in the world rankings behind Jin Young Ko.

World Golf Hall of Famer Karrie Webb of Boynton Beach shot 74 to finish at 4 over, and Jaye Marie Green of Jupiter also shot 74 to finish at 9 over.

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Lydia Ko, Danielle Kang will battle it out in final round of Gainbridge LPGA

The final group is rounded out by Celine Boutier.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Saturday’s 50-degree temperatures were the least of the concerns of the golfers competing in the third round of the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.

It was the gusty, shifty winds that accompanied the cold front that perplexed Lydia Ko and Danielle Kang, who began the day tied for the lead at 11 under par.

Whether they were on the tee boxes, the fairways or the greens, the wind, which blew as hard as 33 mph, had them backing away from shots, re-thinking their club selections and wondering how hard or how easy to hit their putts.

Given those challenges, Ko was happy to grind out an even-par 72, while Kang was happy to still be in the hunt for her second consecutive victory after a 2-over 74.

“I’m proud that I just stayed in it and have a chance tomorrow,” said Kang, who had two birdies and a bogey on the front nine, but had three bogeys on the back.

Danielle Kang reacts on the 16th green during the third round of the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club on January 29, 2022, in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Ko, who grew up in New Zealand and now lives in the Orlando area, opened with a 63 Thursday followed by a 70 Friday and is at 11-under 205.

Kang, of Las Vegas, who won last week’s season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, shot 65-68 the first two days and is at 9-under 207.

She and Ko will be in the final threesome Sunday, teeing off at 11:40 a.m. They’ll be joined by Celine Boutier of France, who had Saturday’s best round, a bogey-free 3-under 69, to get to 8 under.

Charley Hull of England and Yuka Saso of Japan were tied for fourth at 7-under 209. Hull might’ve had the most interesting round Saturday. She birdied her first two holes, then bogeyed four of the next six. She came back with three birdies over her final 10 holes to finish with a 71.

Nasa Hataoka of Japan, who finished second here in 2020, was alone in sixth at 5-under 211 on rounds of 67-71-73.

Kang had good looks at birdie on the first and second holes and took the lead at 12 under with a short birdie putt on the par-4 fourth. She bogeyed the fifth after an errant drive, but came right back with another short birdie putt on the par-3 sixth.

Swirling winds had her back off her wedge shot to the par-5 10th several times, and she ended up hitting it into a bunker, then failed to get up and down for par.

“I didn’t know how to hit the shot,” she explained. “If it does one thing, it’s in the back bunker; if I do another, it’s in the front bunker; if I hit the shot that I want, it’s going to be right.”

Lydia Ko of New Zealand hits from the 16th tee during the third round of the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club on January 29, 2022, in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Ko, who sent a long, delicate, downhill birdie putt off the green on No. 7 for a three-putt bogey, birdied the 10th from short range to tie Kang. Ko parred in from there, making several good up and downs, including on the 18th hole from a back bunker.

“I think overall my game wasn’t as sharp as the other days, but when the conditions are tough, I think it’s difficult,” she said. “I don’t think I gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities, but I still was able to hit a fair amount of greens.

“To finish even par after a tough, grindy day, I think it was a solid day at the office.”

The wind was a factor on the greens for both players. Ko said it was sometimes difficult to be stable standing over the ball. Kang three-putted the 14th for a bogey, sending her first putt zooming past the hole, and failed to get up and down on the 15th.

“I wasn’t that bothered (by the wind) with ball striking, but it bothered me a lot on the greens,” she said. “That three-putt … I decelerated on probably 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, so I told myself to accelerate and I did, and then I hit it by 12 feet. It was just a lot of calibrating on the greens today, which was not a good way to play, especially in this gusty wind.”

Boutier was concerned about the conditions, but then she birdied the par-5 first hole and added birdies at the par-4 12th and par-5 16th.

“I was a little bit apprehensive with the day just because it was just so windy, and then being able to have a good start definitely helped me get more confidence,” Boutier said. “It was just a really solid day from start to finish.”

Among local players, Lexi Thompson of Delray Beach shot 73 and was tied for 10th at 3 under 213. Jessica Korda of Jupiter was at 1 under after a 75.

World Golf Hall of Famer Karrie Webb of Boynton Beach also shot 75 and was 2 over. She’ll be among the first players to tee off Sunday morning, starting on the 10th tee at 9:28 a.m. Jaye Marie Green of Jupiter shot 78 and was at 7 over.

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No day at the beach: Wind, cold wreck scores at Gainbridge LPGA

“There was a lot of gusting shots and I never missed so many putts by so far in a while.”

BOCA RATON, Fla.— How cold was it? Brooke Henderson, who was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, and was a hockey goalie until the age of 14, had hand warmers in her pocket for Saturday’s third round of the Gainbridge LPGA.

And Lexi Thompson, who was born in Coral Springs and now lives in Delray Beach, was asked if as a native South Floridian would she have played a casual round of golf Saturday?

“I would’ve attempted, but probably wouldn’t have made it long,” she said.

But it wasn’t so much the temperatures in the high 40s that topped out in the mid 50s that wrecked havoc on the scores at Boca Rio. It was the sustained winds of 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 33 mph that made club selection and ball striking tricky. Even on the greens.

“Yeah, definitely felt like we were back home today,” said Henderson, who shot a 2-over 74 and is 3-under for the tournament, eight shots behind leader Lydia Ko.

Lexi Thompson, who grew up in South Florida, smiles after finishing the third round of the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club on a cold, windy Saturday. Andres Leiva, THE PALM BEACH POST

It was so cold Saturday that …

So how cold was it? Even the staunchest supporters of Ron DeSantis would have worn a face mask. Fighting for your constitutional rights has its limits.

When someone yelled “fore,” it could have been warning for falling Iguanas.

Saturday’s average score of 75.1 was 4.6 strokes more than Thursday and three shots worse than Friday. Just five golfers were in the red, including Celine Boutier, who had a remarkable bogey-free round of 3-under putting her within three shots of the lead. Boutier was raised in France. She now lives in Dallas.

“Growing up in Europe obviously we played a lot of golf in the U.K. so you’re just kind of used to it,” said Boutier.

Stacy Lewis, chipping onto the 10th green during Saturday’s third round of the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club, said weather is the great equalizer in golf. Andres Leiva, THE PALM BEACH POST

Lewis, who turned professional in 2008, believes the weather is a great equalizer. And the scores back her up. The same two golfers atop the leaderboard for the first two rounds are Nos. 1 and 2 entering Sunday’s final round. The difference is Ko’s even-par 72 Saturday gives her a two shot lead over Danielle Kang, who was 2-over. Ko is 11-under for the tournament.

“As I get older, I need more days like this,” said the 36-year-old Lewis, who carded a 72 and sits seven shots behind Ko. “If it’s hot and nice and sunny, Nelly is hitting it 50 (yards) by me and it’s a different day completely.”

Nelly is Nelly Korda, the top-ranked women’s golfer in the world from Bradenton. Korda didn’t handle the conditions very well Saturday with a 76, including four bogeys on the front nine. She is 11 shots behind Ko.

Korda started her round sporting an oversized pair of mittens, perfect for the slopes outside of Beijing next week but typically about as useful as a snowblower in South Florida. She’d flap her hands to keep the blood circulating early in her round before exchanging out the mittens for a club before each shot.

The combination of wind and cold added two to three club lengths to many shots. Lewis pulled out a 4-iron for her 163-yard approach shot on the fifth hole, a club she typically hits 185 yards.

The ball landed three feet from the pin.

“You have to play in this stuff a few times to really learn how to do it and how to hit the shots,” Lewis said. “You can see it a little bit with Nelly today, just trying it hit full shots where maybe needed kind of little ones.”

Kang prepared for cold conditions

Which is why Kang, who lives in Las Vegas, layered up and hit the links on the most miserable days this winter. Kang was not happy the way she has handled cold, windy conditions and made it a point to play as much as she could in less than ideal conditions, even adding and subtracting layers to find a comfort zone.

“It was really tough out there,” she said. “I missed a lot of putts. There was a lot of gusting shots and I never missed so many putts by so far in a while.”

The news for Sunday’s final round was good and bad. While the winds are expected to subside, temperatures are expected to drop in the low 30s overnight with a wind chill in the 20s. Tournament officials have moved up tee times in anticipation of frost on the course.

“Dress warm,” Thompson, the South Floridian, warned.

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Lydia Ko, Danielle Kang carry lead into weekend at Gainbridge LPGA

Karrie Webb made the cut after a 15 month break from LPGA golf.

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Cooler than expected temperatures accompanied by overcast skies and occasional wind gusts made for much more challenging playing conditions in the second round of the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Friday morning.

That doesn’t bode well for the 74 players who made the cut at 1-over-par 145, as temperatures are forecast to be in the 40s and 50s Saturday and Sunday.

Given Friday morning’s weather, Lydia Ko, who shot a 9-under-par 63 for a two shot lead Thursday, was satisfied with a 2-under 70. That was good enough for her to be tied with Danielle Kang, who followed her opening 7-under 65 with a 68 Friday afternoon for an 11-under 133 total.

“I think the temperature was kind of a big thing,” said Ko. “Par 5s that played pretty short yesterday, they played like a completely different hole. Yesterday I hit driver, 3-wood, and a little flip wedge into 10, and today it was like a low driver and a 3-wood, and like an 8-iron.

“I think the temperature plays a huge factor because the course is not running out a lot. It just makes the golf course longer. Having some longer irons into the green definitely makes it a lot harder, where yesterday I felt like I hit a lot of mid-irons.”

Kang, who won last week’s season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, birdied her final two holes Friday to catch Ko.

“Coming in 2 under coming into the last couple holes, I just really wanted to get to the double digits. That was kind of my goal today, so I was happy to do that,” said Kang, who started her round on the back nine.

Danielle Kang hits from the 18th fairway during the second round of the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club on January 28, 2022, in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

She hit a wedge from 94 yards to seven feet on the par 5 eighth and a 7-iron from 154 yards to 10 feet on the ninth hole to accomplish her goal of tying Ko, whom she’ll play with in the final threesome Saturday along with Jodi Ewart Shadoff.

Shadoff, of England, shot a 69 and is tied for third at 7-under 137 with Yuka Saso of Japan. Morgane Metraux of Switzerland, who birdied seven of her final 12 holes to shoot Friday’s lowest round at 66, is tied for fifth at 6 under with Bronte Law, Charley Hull, Nasa Hataoka, and Aditi Ashok.

Ko, 24, who had nine birdies and no bogeys Thursday, had two birdies and two bogeys through her first 11 holes Friday. She banged in a lengthy birdie putt on the 14th hole and birdied the par-3 17th.

She’s using a new putter following a disappointing performance on the greens in the season opener.

“After last week I said, ‘What the heck.’ Kind of seeing something new, sometimes I feel like it brings a little bit of a different energy,” she said.

Ko’s most impressive putt, a 33-foot birdie on the 14th hole, might’ve been too energetic. She admitted that she hit the ball way too hard, but it dove into the cup.

“I think for the most part these greens aren’t as fast as last week, so I was leaving a few putts short. I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to get it to the hole,’ and I definitely got it to the hole,” Ko said. “I definitely got the read wrong because that was not the pace I was looking for. But it ended up being a perfect putt, so I’ll take it.”

Among local players, Lexi Thompson of Delray Beach had a second consecutive 70 and is tied for 17th along with Jessica Korda of Jupiter at 4 under. World Golf Hall of Famer Karrie Webb of Boynton Beach is at 1 under after a 72. Jaye Marie Green of Jupiter shot 75 and is at 1 over to make the cut at 145. Missing the cut were Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Boca Raton, who was 2 over after a 72, and Taylor Collins of Fort Lauderdale, who was 10 over after a second 77.

Webb, who last played in an LPGA event 15 months ago, said making the cut might not be so great after all.

“That’s the reward for making the cut, right? Get to play in bad weather over the weekend,” she said. “It’s been a while since I played in cold weather, so we’ll see how it goes.”

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Lydia Ko leads Gainbridge LPGA after first round in Florida

“I played with the president of the club (Wednesday) in the pro-am, so maybe he gave me some good energy?” said Ko.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Lydia Ko did not play in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio in 2020, but her lack of familiarity with the 6,701-yard course was not a handicap.

The 24-year-old two-time major champion from New Zealand shot a bogey-free 9-under-par 63 in Thursday’s opening round to take a two-shot lead over Danielle Kang.

“I played with the president of the club (Wednesday) in the pro-am, so maybe he gave me some good energy?” said Ko. “I didn’t get into too much trouble, so I was kind of putting myself in play.”

Starting on the back nine, Ko birdied the par-5 10th, and also birdied 13, 14 and 15 to go out in 32. She began the front nine with three consecutive birdies, added another at the par-3 sixth, and had her shot of the day at the par-5 eighth when she hit her third past the pin and spun it back to within a foot for a tap-in birdie.

“I do know that you have to drive it pretty well around here, and that sets up lots of good birdie opportunities,” Ko said. “I hit one very, very loose shot, but luckily it was in play and I was able to set up another birdie chance. Other than that, it was overall pretty solid. Hopefully, I’ll be able to maintain the goods from today to the rest of the week.”

It helped that players were allowed to lift, clean and place the ball in the rain-softened fairways.

Kang, of Las Vegas, came into Boca Rio off a victory Sunday in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando. But she didn’t think that was a factor on a day that featured eight birdies and one bogey.

“I don’t really try and focus on momentum and whether you have to create it or you have to ride it or it’s not there or there,” she said. “It doesn’t really matter, right? I played well last week, It’s a new week. I still have things to work on. I still have things I need to focus on.”

Such as?

“I think I’m focused too much on how to guide the ball moreso than just hitting it. But I don’t mind it,” she said. “It is what it is. Trying to hit the best shot I can hit, and I hit some really great drives and really bad drives, and I’m OK with that.”

Kang birdied the first and third holes to go 2 under, bogeyed the fourth, then birdied the sixth and eighth to go out in 3-under 33. She had four birdies on the back nine. When the inaugural tournament was held here in 2020 – it was held in Orlando last year – Kang finished third after being in a three-way tie for the lead on the final day.

Aditi Ashok of India was alone in third after a 6-under 66. She was 2 under on her front nine, then had five birdies in a seven-hole stretch before a bogey on 18.

Nasa Hataoka of Japan, who finished second here in 2020, one shot behind first-time winner Madelene Sagstrom, was in a seven-way tie for fourth at 5-under 67. Fourteen players were tied for 11th at 68, including world No. 1-ranked Nelly Korda of Bradenton, who won the 2021 Gainbridge in Orlando. Seventeen golfers shot 69. Sagstrom was tied for 30th at 2-under 70.

“It’s just nice to be on site,” said Sagstrom, of Sweden. “Last time I left here I was just so … literally, I couldn’t grasp what was going on. It feels good to be at a place where you have played well, where you have won. It’s a nice, comfortable feeling. I feel like my game hasn’t been that great but I still enjoy it.”

Jaye Marie Green of Jupiter, who grew up in Boca Raton, also shot a 70 with four birdies and two bogeys. Green, who tied for 19th two years ago, wasn’t sure how she’d play in her first event of the year.

“I hit it really solidly today. The first tournament back you’re always trying to work out some kinks, a little rust,” she said. “I think overall for the first round of 2022, for once in my life I feel prepared going into a season.”

Green, whose gallery included her family, her fiancé’s family and lots of friends, said the soft greens were slower than she expected.

“I had a hard time adjusting to green speeds,” Green said. “All off-season I’d been practicing on greens rolling 12, 13 (on the stimpmeter), and these were probably 10.5, so I really struggled with my tempo on getting putts to the hole. I’m going to go practice and they’ll probably speed up the greens tomorrow.”

Among other locals, Lexi Thompson of Delray Beach also shot 70. Jessica Korda of Jupiter shot 72. Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Boca Raton shot 74 and Taylor Collins of Fort Lauderdale shot 77.

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Hall of Famer Karrie Webb joins Gainbridge field for first LPGA event in 15 months

“I chose golf over life events for 25 years, and, you know, I want to put life events ahead of golf.”

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The next time you are cruising along the Intracoastal and spot a 32-foot Intrepid navigating the smooth waters, check out who is piloting the vessel.

It just might be a seven-time major champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member who is in the conversation of the greatest female golfers of all time.

Karrie Webb has been taking advantage of the South Florida lifestyle for 23 years, whether it is fishing off her boat or docking it at Two Georges or Prime Catch or any other waterfront restaurant. The Aussie golfer settled on Boynton Beach in 1999 and has lived in the same house since, which is longer than any other place she has called home.

“It’s definitely as much home as it is when I go back home to Australia and the same sort of weather where I grew up, so that wasn’t a huge change,” said Webb, a member of Pine Tree Golf Club and an occasional playing partner of fellow club member and former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland.

“I’ve got a little bit more time on my hands to figure out different stuff, different hobbies.”

A bit more time, but not totally free.

Karrie Webb tees off on the 3rd hole during the second round of the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at Country Club of Charleston. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Webb, 47, is playing her first LPGA Tour event in more than 15 months this week at the Gainbridge LPGA. The LPGA’s career second-leading money winner tees off Thursday at 12:40 p.m. at Boca Rio.

Webb enjoys her time on the water and her freedom to visit her family in Australia. It’s much more fun than devoting most of her time to the tour. She has entered just 12 events in the last three years, none in 2021.

And she will use this weekend as a gauge to see how her body and mind handle the rigors of playing a competitive tournament, which will determine how many events she enters moving forward.

But after dealing with neck issues and realizing she was limited in the time she could spend hitting drivers on the range, Webb sounds like a woman who is very comfortable with this life.

“I chose golf over life events for 25 years, and, you know, I want to put life events ahead of golf,” she said Tuesday. “I think when you’re in the heat of golf you think you’re missing out on stuff, or at least I did towards the end of playing full time, and I just want to have a better balance.

“This week is perfect. It’s convenient that the tournament is here where I’ve lived for 23 years.”

DENHAM, ENGLAND – JULY 28: Karrie Webb of Australia poses with the trophy after winning the ISPS Handa Ladies British Masters at Buckinghamshire Golf Club on July 28, 2013 in Denham, England. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)

Top 10 in tour wins, majors

Webb was at the top of the game for nearly two decades with 56 professional wins, including 41 on the LPGA Tour (tied for 10th all-time). Among those were seven majors (tied for seventh), starting with the 1999 du Maurier Classic which lead to her first Player of the Year title, something she captured again in 2000. She won four majors (two each year) in 2000 and 2001 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.

Since reducing her schedule — the last time she played in at least 10 events was 19 in 2017 — she has learned what she misses about the lifestyle, and what she never wants to go back to again.

“I think after 20-plus years of lugging your clubs and tour bag around and a heavy suitcase from shuttle busses to the car rental place to the hotel, it adds up over the years doing that all on your own,” she said. “Those aren’t the highlights of playing on the LPGA but they’re all part and parcel of it. Those are definitely not the things that I miss.

“I miss seeing all the people and the banter on the range. Those are the things you think when you’re in the heat of it that you’re not going to miss, but you actually miss the most … apart from the competition.”

Webb later added the grind of the hours on the range and the putting green to the list.

“I really don’t have the desire to put the work in, and to even come close to competing out here you have to be able to put the work in,” she said. “The standard just gets better and better every year.”

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Which, after a Hall of Fame career that spanned two decades, is the way it should be. Webb will enter events along the way knowing the expectations are not what they were. Now, it’s about having some fun and being a resource for those who strive to have the type of storied career she enjoyed.

And something else Webb does not miss … the scrutiny and being in the spotlight, which is something she tried to avoid throughout her career.

At her height, Webb was a private person. For years she would decline photo shoots at her home by saying it was under construction.

“I had a couple of camera crews show up on my front doorstep,” she said. “I built a fence so they couldn’t get in.”

Since, she said, it’s rare for her to be recognized when she’s not playing golf especially when she is out doing what she loves, cruising the Intracoastal Waterway.

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Hall of Famer Karrie Webb set to return to the LPGA after two-year break close to home at Gainbridge

Webb, a seven-time major winner, last played a full schedule on the LPGA in 2017.

Karrie Webb returns to LPGA competition next week for the first time in two years at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio in Boca Raton, Florida. The 47-year-old Aussie resides just north of Boca in Boyton Beach on the southeast coast of Florida. Webb, a seven-time major winner, last played a full schedule on the LPGA in 2017.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda headlines the field at Gainbridge, which she won in 2021 at Lake Nona. The event moved for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sixteen of the top 25 players in the world will be at the second event of the season, including Lydia Ko (3), Inbee Park (4), Nasa Hataoka (6), Yuka Saso (8), Danielle Kang (10), Brooke Henderson (11), Lexi Thompson (12), Patty Tavatanakit (13), Ayaka Furue (14), Anna Nordqvist (16), Jeong Eun Lee6 (19), Atthaya Thitikul (20), Ally Ewing (21), Jessica Korda (22) and Ariya Jutanugarn (23).

The field of 120 will compete for a purse of $2 million.

“We are honored to have Karrie Webb joining the field and are excited to welcome the world’s best players back to Palm Beach County for the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio,” said Lesley Baker, executive director for the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. “We are equally as excited to welcome back fans to the tournament this year and representing Southeast Florida on a global scale, both in person and to television audiences around the world.”

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Gainbridge LPGA event will feature No. 1 Nelly Korda and a local teaching pro who made history when she beat the men

“I’m extremely lucky to have the privilege to pursue a passion and a childhood dream and play in this event.”

The field list for the upcoming Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio features a who’s who list of stars including World No. 1 Nelly Korda, Inbee Park, Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson and 2020 champion Madelene Sagstrom.

But there’s also a name that most golf fans aren’t familiar with, a 32-year-old local teaching pro who beat the men to make history late last year and on Tuesday was named the 2021 PGA of America Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year.

Gainbridge LPGA At Boca Rio - Final Round
Madelene Sagstrom during the final round of the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio in Boca Raton, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Taylor Collins, winner of Golf Channel’s “Big Break Mexico” and longtime pupil of the legendary Bob Toski, will compete in Boca Raton, Florida, later this month on a sponsor exemption.

The Gainbridge LPGA is the first full-field event for the 2022 LPGA season and will feature 120 players competing for a share of a $2 million purse Jan. 24-30 at Boca Rio Golf Club. Last year’s event, won by Nelly Korda, was held at Lake Nona due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Collins played collegiately at Nova Southeastern, winning the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championship and helping her team win titles in 2009, 2010, 2011. She turned professional after graduation, but ultimately had to walk away from the game after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

“I was struggling to pretty much walk,” said Collins, who also struggled to grip a club. “I almost bought a cane to start walking with, so I had to take like a year off of golf.”

Medications now help to keep the arthritis in check, though she still deals with flare-ups.

Last September, Collins, a PGA assistant pro at Coral Ridge Country Club in Fort Lauderdale, won the South Florida PGA Section’s signature event – the PGA Professional Championship – by four strokes at 8-under par, becoming the first woman to win in its 42-year history.

Collins said the men she competed alongside and the guys she works with have been supportive, but it wasn’t entirely without controversy given that she played from 81 percent of the distance the men played, as stipulated by tournament rules.

“I do happen to be one of the long hitters out there,” said Collins, “so it could look unfair sometimes with myself hitting the ball, but perhaps not other ladies when they are playing. So it wouldn’t be fair to just judge it off the long-ball hitters.

“And I think something that’s forgotten a lot when you’re playing is I’ll hit my driver, I’ll happen to hit it long and one of the long guys will hit it past me and I might be hitting a pitching wedge and he’s hitting a sand wedge, or I’m hitting an 8-iron and he’s still hitting a pitching wedge. So I understand, I guess, all sides of it. It’s a tricky one, but I’d say it’s fair for the most part if I’m honest.”

Collins said she hits it anywhere from 240 to 270 yards, depending on the day.

Competing in an LPGA event so close to where she lives and works is dream scenario for Collins, who plans to have the junior players she coaches each mark a golf ball that she will play with during the competition. It will be good for her to be reminded of her day job while in the heat of battle, she said, and also fun for the kids to have a souvenir.

“I love the job that I have outside of it,” said Collins, “but I’m extremely lucky to have the privilege to pursue a passion and a childhood dream and play in this event.”

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Gainbridge LPGA will return to Boca Rio in South Florida in 2022

The 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio will feature a field of 120 players competing for a $2 million purse.

As the 2021 LPGA season winds down, next year’s schedule is becoming a little clearer. The tour will make an early stop in South Florida in January, returning to Boca Rio Golf Club in Boca Raton, Florida, for the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.

The tournament is in its third year on the LPGA schedule, and after debuting at Boca Rio in 2020, moved to Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Florida, in 2021 for the second playing. LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam competed that week – Lake Nona is her home golf course – and remarkably made the cut in her first official start since retiring from the LPGA in 2008. Nelly Korda won the event.

The 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio will feature a field of 120 players competing for a $2 million purse and will be played Jan. 27-30.

“We are thrilled to continue our work with the LPGA Tour and return to Boca Rio Golf Club for the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio,” said Dan Towriss, President and CEO of Group 1001, the parent organization of Gainbridge. “In the tournament’s first two years, we have established the Gainbridge LPGA as a world-class championship. It is an honor for us to support women’s golf and provide a platform for the game’s best players to showcase their talents to fans all over the world.”

Boca Rio is a member-owned golf club built in 1967. It is located four miles from the Atlantic Ocean on 200 acres of native Florida wilderness.

This season, the Gainbridge LPGA was one of five stops in Florida, where several LPGA players call home.

“I love an event where you can stay at home. It makes the week a little easier,” Palm Beach Gardens resident Austin Ernst, a member of the U.S. Solheim Cup team who is 24th on this year’s money list, told the Palm Beach Post.

“Boca Rio is a great course. It’s a good test. There’s a good mix of holes. The course played long last year because of the rain, but I think it’s a great venue.”

With eight events still to go on the LPGA in 2021 – including six domestic events – the full picture of the 2022 LPGA schedule is still unknown.

Craig Dolch contributed reporting.

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