Tag: HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open

Showstopper Brooke Henderson collects 10th career victory at Hugel-Air Premia LA Open

Brooke Henderson ended a victory drought that dated back to June 2019 in show-stopping fashion.

The winningest Canadian player in history returned to her winning ways at the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open. Brooke Henderson ended a victory drought that dated back to June 2019 in show-stopping fashion, toppling No. 1-ranked Jin Young Ko, Jessica Korda and Hannah Green at historic Wilshire Country Club with a closing 67.

The victory gives 23-year-old Henderson her 10th career victory, tying Ariya Jutanugarn, Shanshan Feng and Paula Creamer among active players. With golf courses closed in Henderson’s native Ontario until at least May 20 due to COVID-19 restrictions, the victory at last gave some of Henderson’s biggest supporters reason to smile back home.

“I think as I age I’m getting more nerves,” said Henderson when it was over.

Henderson, who finished at 16-under 268, looked anything but nervous when she hit a gutsy pitch on the closing par-3 18th to keep her one-shot cushion over Korda, who knocked it in close for birdie to finish solo second.

“That would be hard to pull off if she was by herself on Tuesday,” marveled Golf Channel analyst Judy Rankin of the deft up-and-down Henderson pulled off on the 72nd hole.

Sparked by a stuffed approach on the 11th and a chip-in for birdie on the 12th, Henderson started the day four strokes back of Korda but opened up a three-shot lead with four to play over Ko, Korda and Aussie Hannah Green.

Korda, winner of the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, had plenty of chances down the stretch but several misfires with wedge in hand, plus a bogey on the drivable par-4 14th and a par on the reachable par-5 15th, kept her from collecting another trophy.

As the tour heads to Asia for events in Singapore and Thailand, both Jessica and Nelly Korda, two of the hottest players in the game this season, will have three weeks off.

“Really frustrating, really couldn’t get anything going,” said Korda. “I was hitting it really good and then just it wasn’t happening for me for some reason.

“Just kept getting screwed and the wind kept dropping and then coming back up and we were – we just – it just wasn’t happening. I don’t know.”

Green carded a final-round 66 that included an eagle on the 14th to vault into a share of third.

Henderson came into the week with a pair of top-10 finishes on the season and hasn’t had her father/coach Dave on the road with her since January 2020. The Hendersons travel often with their two daughters, particularly at big events.

With dad back home in Smiths Falls, Ontario, they’ve used FaceTime to keep on track. Big sister Brittany helps too, particularly on the greens. Henderson noted after Friday’s round that she finally felt comfortable with the putter.

“I felt like I was playing really great golf,” said Henderson of the nearly two-year drought. “It just wasn’t my time. God has a plan for everything, and just really happy. Brit and I been working really hard, and so it’s nice to get the win and get some confidence back.”

Angela Stanford, 43, had a roller-coaster round that had her within two shots early in the back nine after a holed bunker shot on the 11th. A double-bogey on the 12th, however, took her out of the conversation down the stretch on Saturday. A closing 70 put the assistant Solheim Cup captain in a share of fifth.

USC grad Tiffany Chan played so much golf at Wilshire in college that she considered the club her second home. Chan posted a career-best tie for eighth this week thanks to a closing 69.

UCLA grad Alison Lee Monday-qualified for the LA Open with a closing eagle. After a third-round 79 send her tumbling down the board, the former Solheim Cup player carded five consecutive birdies on the back nine to shoot 66 and finished tied for 39th in her second start of the season.

 

Jessica Korda, Jin Young Ko take turns atop leaderboard at LPGA Hugel-Air Premia LA Open

Jessica Korda started her third round of the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open on Friday with three consecutive birdies, stretching her three-shot lead to six. It started to look like a runaway in the making. But then Jin Young Ko got it going and after she …

Jessica Korda started her third round of the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open on Friday with three consecutive birdies, stretching her three-shot lead to six.

It started to look like a runaway in the making.

But then Jin Young Ko got it going and after she made a birdie on 13, she had the lead and would later go up two.

Ko had four bogeys on her Friday scorecard, including on the 18th hole, but she recorded nine birdies at Wilshire Country Club near downtown Los Angeles to put herself into position to win for the first time since the 2020 CME Group Tour Championship, an event the No. 1-ranked player in the world qualified for after just three starts.

Korda, meanwhile, is seeking her seventh LPGA victory and second this season after opening the year with a win at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in January.

Hugel-Air Premia LA Open: Leaderboard

Korda rallied with three birdies on her last four holes, including the final two, to shoot a 68 to get to 16 under. She’s up one on Ko, who shot a 66 and is at 15 under.

Brooke Henderson birdied Nos. 15, 16 and 17 and had a six-footer for another one on the last but missed. Nonetheless, she is in solo third at 12 under. Angela Stanford shot a 68 Friday and is in solo fourth at 11 under. So Yeon Ryu and Hannah Green are tied for fifth.

Morgan Pressel matched Ko’s low round of 66 on Friday. Pressel birdied four out of five holes down the stretch before making her lone bogey on the 18th. Still, she is tied for seventh with Tiffany Chan heading to the final round.

The LA Open started Wednesday; the 72-hole event will conclude with the final round on Saturday. The LPGA has tournaments on consecutive weeks in Singapore and Thailand starting next week.

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Jessica Korda shoots bogey-free 65 to take big lead at LPGA’s Hugel-Air Premia LA Open

Jessica Korda shot a bogey-free 65 to take a big lead at the LPGA’s Hugel-Air Premia LA Open.

Jessica Korda shot a bogey-free 65 during Thursday’s second round of the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open to follow a record-tying 7-under 64 on Wednesday, and the six-time LPGA winner was still left wanting more.

“Well, it’s going to sound crazy but I actually lipped out a good amount out there today, so it actually could have been lower,” said Korda when asked which day was better. “Both are fine. I don’t complain.”

Korda holds a four-shot lead in the clubhouse at Wilshire Country Club at 13 under, a 36-hole scoring record for the event. The previous mark was 8 under, where Brooke Henderson and Angela Stanford sit tied for third. Jin Young Ko is in second at 9 under.

Similar to last week in Hawaii, the LA Open has a Wednesday-to-Saturday competition schedule. The LPGA has tournaments on consecutive weeks in Singapore and Thailand starting next week.

Past champ Moriya Jutanugarn rebounds with back-nine 29 to take early lead at LA Open

It certainly didn’t start off promising for Moriya Jutanugarn, who found herself four over through her first five holes at Wilshire Country Club, site of her break-through win on the LPGA in 2018. And then something flipped. Jutanugarn birdied the …

It certainly didn’t start off promising for Moriya Jutanugarn, who found herself four over through her first five holes at Wilshire Country Club, site of her break-through win on the LPGA in 2018.

And then something flipped.

Jutanugarn birdied the next six consecutive holes. In fact, she birdied 10 of her last 13 to rebound with a 6-under 65 and lead the field at the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open.

“I mean, I don’t realize until I sign the scorecard I shot 29 on the backside today,” said Jutnaugarn. “It was pretty fun.”

Austin Ernst and Nelly Korda, two winners in 2021, are tied for second 5 under. Korda, who missed the cut in her previous two starts at Wilshire, holed out for eagle on the 16th hole (her front side) with a pitching wedge to give her round an early boost.

“I hit some really close,” said Korda, who finished in a share of second last week in Hawaii. “On 11 I hit it to tap-in range. It’s definitely nice when you have those tap-ins out here. … when you do make a par, the key is to hit your first putt close, not leave yourself the longer putt.

“I kind of learned that hopefully over the past two, three years, and I can take that into the next three days.”

Hugel-Air Premia LA Open: Leaderboard

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko headlines a group at 4 under that includes recent major winners Sei Young Kim and A Lim Kim.

Inbee Park opened with a 68. Three years ago, Park reclaimed the No. 1 ranking for the fourth time in her career with a share of second at Wilshire.

“The greens are just really tricky,” said Park. “I mean, like some putts are really quick, some really slow. It’s very slopey, so just don’t know which way it’s going to break, how much it’s going to break. It’s very tough.

“I think nobody is going to really have a great putting week this week. I mean, it’s poana greens and it’s quite quick on the downhill putts, so I think we just got to watch out for the speed of the putts and try to hit it close as you can.”

Nelly Korda
Nelly Korda tees off at the 14th hole during the first round of the LPGA’s 2021 Hugel-Air Premia LA Open tournament at Wilshire Country Club. (Photo: Ashley Landis/Associated Press)

When Moriya won the LA Open in 2018, her sister Ariya’s emotional reaction was the most memorable part of the finish. With Koreatown only a few blocks away from the city club, Asian fans came out in droves to watch Sunday’s finale.

Ariya broke down sobbing after Moriya clinched her first title, showing more emotion for her older sister’s success than any of her own previous victories, including her first major.

“It’s amazing,” Ariya said in the moment three years ago. “I mean, to me, I feel like not only did she reach her goal, but I feel like our family reached our goal.”

Needless to say, Moriya loves coming back to Los Angeles. She enjoys the weather, the food and the challenge of Wilshire. Ariya opened this week’s event with a 71.

“You just have to put yourself into good position to play and sometimes just to make a two-putt,” she said.

“I just like happened to be make a little bit more putts today.”

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Stargazing: Patty Tavatanakit and Lydia Ko grouped together for first two rounds of LA Open

Lydia Ko took the day off and went to the beach in Santa Monica where a seagull, making a dive for her sandwich, took a bite of her too.

With Wilshire Country Club closed to players on Sunday, Lydia Ko took the day off and went to the beach in Santa Monica where a seagull, making a dive for her sandwich, managed to take a bite of her too.

Ko knows all too well what it’s like to be bombarded – with questions, expectations and requests. Having a bird try to steal her lunch might be the most normal part of her day, particularly after winning for the first time in three years the day prior.

For rookie Patty Tavatanakit, however, the increased attention has already felt a bit overwhelming. Tavatanakit, 21, held off a hard-charging Ko at the ANA Inspiration earlier this month for a wire-to-tire victory in the desert. She returns to the tour at this week’s Hugel Air Premia LA Open, where she and Ko are grouped together in the first two rounds along with Jessica Korda. The trio tee off at 4:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

“I feel like I had to constantly be self-aware and just tell myself to calm down or focus more,” said Tavatanakit moments after signing an autograph. “I’ve been kind of trying to be disciplined on doing my meditation to help with that.”

Tavatanakit is friendly by nature and while she doesn’t want to change her demeanor, she is aware that increased attention leads to a decrease in energy.

“I just feel like sometimes, I just want a moment to myself,” she said, “and just everyone please ignore me like I’m not here.”

At least the vibe this week is a familiar one for Tavatanakit as she went to school 7 miles down the road at UCLA. On Sunday, the Thai bomber brought Randy’s doughnuts out to the Bruins’ practice. The UCLA team typically practices out at Wilshire on Wednesday mornings.

“I basically like grew up as a good dominant player in college here in this city,” said Tavatanakit, who won seven times as a Bruin, “so it means a lot just to come back and play here.”

Lydia Ko
Lydia Ko reacts after her putt on the eighth hole during the second round of the ANA Inspiration golf tournament at Mission Hills Country Club. (Photo: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

Ko, meanwhile, is navigating a different kind of comeback. The former No. 1, who turns 24 on Saturday, followed up a closing 62 at the ANA with a seven-stroke victory at the Lotte Championship, finishing at 28-under par. She’s 38 under in her last 90 holes.

The Kiwi’s 16th career victory moved her to No. 7 in the world, cracking the top 10 in the Rolex Rankings for the first time since February 2018. Ko has been ranked in the top 10 for 40 percent of her career.

“To say that my life was turned upside down after the win, I don’t think that is the truth,” said Ko. “Obviously it was great just to be in contention and then end up winning. I think that settled some of the doubts I had in myself.

“But after that, yeah, you know, I think there was some mixed emotions, but I felt pretty calm about everything and just I felt pretty calm playing. That’s where I feel like it should be.”

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Michelle Wie West hopes the #HoodieforGolf creates change: ‘We’re often hidden; we’re often left out; we’re often not covered.’

In the coming weeks, athletes from across the professional sports landscape will be wearing an LPGA-logoed cotton-candy hoodie designed by Michelle Wie West.

In the coming days and weeks, athletes from across the professional sports landscape will be wearing an LPGA-logoed cotton-candy hoodie designed by Michelle Wie West. The #HoodieforGolf – already worn by Golden State Warriors players Damion Lee and Kent Bazemore – has sold out twice so far, and Wie West said that many of her famous friends are still waiting to get theirs in the mail.

The initial buzz and visibility is exactly what Wie West had in mind when she first brought the hoodie idea to Roberta Bowman, the LPGA’s chief brand and communications officer.

“We’re often hidden,” said Wie West. “We’re often left out; we’re often not covered. It’s been so fun to see our logo, our tour be on the forefront of many media outlets, on many people’s Instagram pages.”

courtesy LPGA

Wie West, who is in the field for this week’s Hugel-Air Premia LA Open at Wilshire, remains the most well-known player on the LPGA even though she hasn’t won a tournament since 2018. The new mom returned to the tour in March with a different set of priorities and a big-picture perspective of her responsibility to the tour.

In the past, she never considered running for a spot on the LPGA’s board of directors because she was “1,000 percent hyper-focused on winning only.”

Time away from the game, however, helped her to see things differently. She credited LPGA Hall of Fame players Meg Mallon and Beth Daniel for continually emphasizing to younger generations the importance of leaving the tour in a better place – the LPGA Founder way.

“The work doesn’t stop here,” said Wie West.

The hoodie isn’t just about sparking conversations surrounding the 70-year-old tour. It’s also designed to help make the sport more diverse. Proceeds from the limited-edition hoodie benefit the LPGA Renee Powell Fund and the Clearview Legacy Foundation. Powell, 74, became the second Black player to compete on the LPGA in 1967. Her father, Bill, built Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio, in 1946. It remains the only golf course in the country built, owned and operated by an African-American.

“Renee has spent her entire life trying to increase the participation of girls of color,” said Wie West, “which is something that is super important to me as well.”

Inspired by the WNBA’s #OrangeHoodie movement, which last year ESPN reported garnered 16.4K mentions on Twitter with over 623 million potential impressions thanks to the likes of LeBron James, Trae Young, Ja Morant, Victor Oladipo and Lil Wayne sporting the sweatshirt, Wie West said she has had impactful conversations with fellow Stanford grad Nneka Ogwumike, a former No. 1 draft pick who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks and serves as president of the WNBA Players Association.

“(Nneka) spearheaded a lot of initiatives for the WNBA,” said Wie West, “so really I look up to her. … I think we’re coming up with some cool ideas together.”

Wie West makes her third start of the 2021 season at Wilshire after two missed cuts. She’s been in Los Angeles for some time now visiting her in-laws. (Husband Jonnie West is the son of NBA legend Jerry West.)

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Skipping last week’s tour event in her native Hawaii was a tough decision, Wie West said. She didn’t feel comfortable taking McKenna on the five-hour plane ride and couldn’t bring herself to go on to the Lotte Championship without her.

The first two events back were a struggle mentally, she said, feeling like she was 50 percent there for every aspect of life.

“It sucked feeling that way,” she said. “I felt like being on the golf course all I wanted to do was be with her, so I was 50 percent there, and when I was back home I was so tired from my round that I felt like I was about 50 percent with her. It was a rough two weeks when I was out there.

“But I had some time at home and just really changing the way I look at things, and it’s definitely been an adjustment, and I’m still adjusting, but it feels great to be out here. I’m getting more and more comfortable being out here away from her.”

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LPGA postpones three more events, announces new dates for ANA Inspiration

LPGA commissioner Mike Whan gave his players a glimmer of hope by rescheduling the ANA Inspiration despite postponing three additional events on the schedule.

The LPGA has announced that it is further delaying its season in the wake of the coronavirus. The tour most recently postponed its first major of the year, the ANA Inspiration, in addition to two more domestic events. Now, the LPGA has informed its players that three more domestic events will be postponed: the Lotte Championship in Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawaii (April 15-18), the Hugel-Air Premia L.A. Open in Los Angeles (April 23-26) and the LPGA Mediheal Championship in Daly City, California (April 30-May 3).

But the LPGA also sent some good news on Friday morning. The ANA Inspiration has been rescheduled for Sept. 10-13 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. The Cambia Portland Classic in Portland, Oregon, which had previously been scheduled for those dates, will now take place Sept. 17-20.

LPGA commissioner Mike Whan informed his players of the changes with a personal letter in which he wrote that he and the tour had held out on postponement of those next events as long as they could – hoping the situation would improve. He told his players “you deserve better,” and also noted that he had made a promise to himself not to send any more cancellations without also sending positive news, hence the rescheduling of the ANA Inspiration.

“The truth is, every time I think we’ve made a plan to address changes, it never seems to be ‘long enough,’” he wrote. “I wish I could tell you when the LPGA Tour will resume our schedule, but the truth is, no one has those answers. Virtually all our events are concerned given the conditions they currently face in their respective markets. At this point, the only option is to reschedule what we can and hope the COVID-19 situation starts to improve. Trust me, patience is NOT my best quality, so this situation is hard on me, too.”

Whan also filmed a message of encouragement for social media this week, in which he spoke directly to fans and sponsors.

LPGA players are in the unique position of also having lost three international events in February and March that were to be played in the Asia Pacific region. The LPGA  has arguably been hit harder than many professional tours by the coronavirus. Nine consecutive events have now been canceled or postponed.

The next event on the Tour’s schedule is the Pelican Women’s Championship, to be played May 14-17 in Belleair, Florida. It would be a first-year event. The PGA Championship was scheduled to take place that weekend in San Francisco, however, and already has been postponed.

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