Peiyun Chien, a 32-year-old from Chinese Taipei, shot a 64 a day after posting a 66 and leads at 14 under, four shots ahead of the field. Chien has eight top-10s in six years as a pro but may finally break through in a big way this week.
However, several big names in the field this week are headed home early and they’re getting a two-day headstart on a three-week break on the LPGA. The Solheim Cup is in two weeks but the next LPGA event isn’t until the end of the month at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
The 36-hole cut came in at 1 under. Here are five big names who missed the weekend at the Kroger Queen City Championship.
Ally Ewing has had a rollercoaster last few months on the LPGA.
In May, at the Bank of Hope Match Play, she finished 17th. Then she missed a cut at the Mizuho Americas.
A tie for eighth at the Meijer LPGA Classic was followed by a missed cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA.
A solo 11th at the U.S. Women’s Open was followed by a missed cut at the Amundi Evian Championship.
She posted a T-9 a week ago in the Women’s Scottish Open but looks to be in good shape to buck the missed-cut-every-other-event trend this week at the AIG Women’s Open.
Ewing rebounded from back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 with a birdie on 15 and an eagle on 16 at Walton Heath in Surrey, England.
“The ball was sitting down a bit,” she said after her drive on 16 ended up in the rough. “But I happened to see both my playing competitors hit shots and noticed how firm it was up in front of the green and so I was actually able to learn a little bit there. It was kind of a gouge-type shot and I just let it chase and it just so happened to chase to like five feet. It was one of those where you’re trying to give yourself an eagle chance and it just so happened to be a five-footer, so definitely happy to walk away with an eagle.”
Her 4-under 68 elevated her into the solo lead after one round of the final LPGA major of 2023.
There’s a logjam in second at 3 under between Jeongeun Lee6, Emily Kristine Pedersen, Perrine Delacour, Jaravee Boonchant and Amy Yang. They all shot 69s.
There’s even a bigger cluster at 2 under, with 12 golfers tied for seventh after shooting 70. That group includes Carlota Ciganda, who was disqualified from the last LPGA major, the Amundi Evian Championship, for signing an incorrect scorecard, an incident that arose out of a two-stroke penalty for slow play. Also at 2 under is U.S. Open champ, Allisen Corpuz.
As for the other 2023 LPGA major champs: KPMG Women’s PGA champ Yin Ruoning, even; Chevron Championship winner Lilia Vu, 1 over; Amundi winner Celine Boutier, 2 over.
Other notable scores: Danielle Kang (E), Stacy Lewis (E), Jin Young Ko (1 over), Nelly Korda (1 over), Lydia Ko (2 over), defending AIG champ Ashleigh Buhai (2 over), Brooke Henderson (3 over) and Lexi Thompson (4 over).
Lee6 got it around Kenwood Country Club without making a bogey.
MADEIRA, Ohio ‒ The second round of the LPGA’s Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G ended with Jeongeun Lee6 atop the leaderboard at 13-under. Of the 144 golfers that teed off on Friday at Kenwood Country Club, only 76 made it through to tomorrow’s third round.
The 26-year-old’s 9-under career-low 63 was put together with nine birdies and no bogeys.
“It was a good bogey-free round, and it’s been a while since I played a bogey-free day, so I’m really satisfied with my game,” Lee6 said.
Lee6 said she plans to concentrate tomorrow on her downswing and to “focus on the process, not the result.”
China’s Xiyu Lin shot 4 under and currently sits behind Lee6 at 12 under.
American golfer Ally Ewing, 29, finished third on the leaderboard at 11 under after an 8-under round, at one point making six birdies in a row. She ended up with three more birdies and one bogey on 18, bringing her scorecard to 64 after day two at Kenwood.
Ewing said hole 18 is a hard one in general and this week’s rain made it soft, but overall she credits her solid putting streak today for putting her so far ahead. “That’s big for my confidence and just the state of my putting, just seeing some putts go in.” said the Mississippi native. “I’m excited to see a low score. I don’t think I’ve had one of those in a hot minute.”
Italian Maria Fassi made four birdies in a row, six total, and now sits 10 under after round two. She’s tied for fourth with Sarah Kemp.
Americans Megan Khang and Andrea Lee, both 24, are two of five players tied for sixth after day two. Both women have yet to win on the LPGA but are poised to end the weekend on a high note.
Thirty-six-year-old Paula Creamer made it through to the weekend at 2 under. The 10-time LPGA winner and 2010 U.S. Women’s Open champion recently returned from maternity leave and had a hole-in-one during Thursday’s first round.
As for 14-year-old Gianna Clemente, she did not make the cut after finishing 5-over Friday with six bogeys. On Monday, the Warren, Ohio, native qualified for the third week in a row. Despite only playing two rounds, Clemente attracted the attention of several aspiring golfers her age, including 14-year-old Katherina Cosby from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and Charlotte Robinson, a Clarksville, Ohio, native and golf newbie.
“When we saw that Gianna was my age, we were so excited,” said Cosby, who has been playing golf since she was age five. “It’s so inspiring to see her out here.”
This is Cincinnati’s first major golf event in decades and first LPGA tournament since 1963. The Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G was secured after its title sponsors signed on last year and Kenwood Country Club stepped up as host.
In a press conference, Ewing praised the conditions of day two at Kenwood, saying that despite the rain earlier in the week, the course felt great. “It’s old school,” she said. “I think there is just a freedom in seeing shots hole by hole and there being no past memory of anything.
“It’s exciting to be at a new course,” she added. “We’ve got some great Cincinnati fans that are showing up and supporting the LPGA.”
“It was my third hole-in-one, but first hole-in-one during (a) tournament,” Lee6 said.
If there’s no video evidence, was it really an ace?
Well, we’re just going to have to trust the scorecards this time around. Three players made aces during the third round of the LPGA’s JTBC Classic Saturday, including major champion Jeongeun Lee6.
The par-3 third at Aviara Golf Club was set up for action, measuring in at a mere 97 yards. And boy, oh boy, did the field take advantage.
Lee6 was part of the first group off this morning and, like the other two players to make aces there, used a 50-degree wedge.
“It was my third hole-in-one, but first hole-in-one during (a) tournament,” she said.
Lee6 went on to shoot a 6-under 66.
Lilia Vu made the next one. On top of the ace, Vu made six birdies and signed for a third-round 7-under 65.
Then, last but not least, Kelly Tan cashed in. She had a wild day in Carlsbad, California on Saturday. She made an ace, an eagle, five birdies, five bogeys, and a double. All-in-all, Tan signed for a 2-under 70.
In Gee Chun grabs one-shot LPGA lead over Jin Young Ko and Jeongeun Lee6 in Singapore.
After more than three years without a victory, In Gee Chun wasn’t about to let a pain in her neck slow down her climb up the leaderboard Saturday at the LPGA’s HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
The three-time winner on the tour focused on her putting after suffering a spasm in her neck earlier in the week, then carded six birdies for a 66 to reach 12-under 204 at Sentosa Golf Club. That was good for a one-shot lead over Jeongeun Lee6 and World No. 1 Jin Young Ko heading into Sunday’s final round.
After hurting her neck Thursday, she considered withdrawing but instead relied on stretching, help from on-site trainers and Advil. She said she has played within herself and let her putter do the talking.
“I tried to make good focus on the putting green because I have spasm in my neck, so I didn’t try to hit hard,” Chun told the LPGA after taking the third-round lead. “I think it went really well on the putting green. …. That’s how I made a good score today.”
Chun’s most recent victory was at the 2018 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship. She also won the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2016 Amundi Evian Championship. She likely will need to make plenty more putts Sunday to hold off the player riding the hottest streak in the women’s game.
Jin Young Ko plays a shot from the ninth tee during her third round at the HSBC Women’s World Championship on March 5, 2022, at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore. (AP/Paul Miller)
Ko shot a third-round 69, her 14th consecutive round in the 60s. That matched an LPGA record she already shared with Annika Sorenstam and So Yeon Ryu. She is in pursuit of her 13th LPGA victory and her sixth in her past 10 starts.
Lee6 had the lowest round of the day, carding seven birdies – six of them in a front-nine 31 – and an eagle to charge up the board with a 7-under 65 to tie Ko in second at 11 under par. Lee6 has one win on the tour, the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open.
American Danielle Kang fired a third-round 68 to climb into a three-way tie for fourth place at 9 under with Atthaya Thitikul (70) and Amy Yang (71) after three rounds. Brooke Henderson (71) was another shot back at 8 under.
With $1.5 million on the line, Jeongeun Lee6 leads by a single shot
It wasn’t all that long ago that Mina Harigae was playing on the Arizona-based Cactus Tour, trying to earn enough money to pay the bills during a global pandemic. Fast forward 18 months and she’s in contention to win $1.5 million at the CME Group Tour Championship.
“I would buy a house for sure,” she said, “and a bunch of Jordan shoes.”
A sparkling, bogey-free 65 at Tiburon Golf Club, highlighted by a chip-in for eagle at the par-5 17th, put Harigae one shot back of 2019 U.S. Women’s Open winner Jeongeun Lee6. Round 1 of the CME was set up for scoring in response to a wet forecast. Players lit up the board on a calm day with preferred lies.
While Harigae enjoyed a legendary junior career in the state of California and beyond, she mostly toiled in the shadows as a professional, that is until she shared the lead going into the weekend at the AIG Women’s British Open at Carnoustie last August and was selected by Pat Hurst as a captain’s pick for Team USA in the 2021 Solheim Cup that same weekend. The 32-year-old Solheim rookie called the week at Inverness the best experience of her life.
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“Being able to pull off the shots that I did during my matches and making some clutch putts, I think that gave me a ton of confidence,” said Harigae.
“Almost as if I can do that there in that kind of atmosphere, I can really do it anywhere on any course in any tournament.”
As for the Jordans, Harigae said she personally only has six pairs but her fiancé and caddie, Travis Kreiter, owns 30. Their collection is stored in the couple’s upstairs loft along with their golf equipment.
“When I see a really good pair, it’s hard for me to pull the trigger sometimes,” she said, “but when I can’t stop thinking about a pair, that’s when I’ll definitely get one.
Harigae reports that she has only spent a maximum of $250 on a single pair so far, but that she might splurge more if the rest of the week goes as planned.
Last Sunday, Jennifer Kupcho struggled to a 7-over 77 alongside fellow American Solheim Cup teammates Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson in the final group at the Pelican Women’s Championship, but she too has strong rookie Solheim vibes to draw from.
Jennifer Kupcho prepares to putt during the first round of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 18, 2021, in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
“It probably was my best ball-striking week I’ve ever had in my life,” said Kupcho, who went 2-1-1 at Inverness. “So that definitely gave me confidence.”
2021 Solheim Cup participants are peppering the board early in Naples, with Frenchwoman Celine Boutier joining Kupcho and Harigae at 7 under, and Leona Maguire, Georgia Hall, and Megan Khang at 5 under.
Boutier, who rolled out of Europe’s victorious Solheim moment and into a victory on home soil at the Lacoste Ladies Open, followed by her second LPGA title at the ShopRite in October. The biennial event, she said, gives her an added boost of confidence that she can handle pressure situations.
“I just feel like my personality, in general, is not super confident,” she said, “so I feel like I always have some doubt in my mind that I have to prove myself again and again.”
Hall’s round received a jolt when she drained a 50-foot eagle putt on the sixth hole after reaching the par 5 in two with a 3-wood.
“The greens are probably (some) of the best that I’ve played in the last four or five years,” she said.
Kim joined the foursome at 7 under while World No. 1 Korda shot 66. Thompson responded from a heart-breaking string of short misses down the stretch at Pelican with a 67 at CME. Ko, who is on the verge of clinching the Vare Trophy for the tour’s low-scoring average, posted a 69.
With $1.5 million on the line, here are 18 players to watch this week in Naples.
It’s all come down to this. The last tournament of the LPGA tour season is this week at Tiburon Golf Course. The CME Group Tour Championship is loaded with star power, including last week’s winner of the Pelican Women’s Championship and World No. 1, Nelly Korda.
Lexi Thompson, who fell short down the stretch at the Pelican and is surely looking to bounce back, is also in the field.
The winner of the CME Group Tour Championship will be walking away with $1.5 million, the largest prize in the history of women’s golf.
Tiburon will play as a par 72 throughout the week, measuring in at 6,556 yards.
Here are 18 players in the field to keep your eye on.
Jin Young Ko
Jin Young Ko of South Korea tees off on the fifth hole during the first round of the BMW Ladies Championship at LPGA International Busan on October 21, 2021 in Busan, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Age: 26 Home country: South Korea Resides: Seoul, South Korea LPGA Career Victories: 11 Race to CME Globe: 1
Nelly Korda
Nelly Korda poses with the trophy after winning the Pelican Women’s Championship in a playoff at Pelican Golf Club on November 14, 2021 in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Age: 23 Home country: U.S. Resides: Bradenton LPGA Career Victories: 7 Race to CME Globe: 2
Lydia Ko
Age: 24 Home country: New Zealand Resides: Orlando LPGA Career Victories: 16 Race to CME Globe: 3
Patty Tavatanakit
Patty Tavatanakit waves after putting out on the 10th green during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at The Olympic Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 22 Home country: Thailand Resides: U.S. LPGA Career Victories: 1 Race to CME Globe: 4
Inbee Park
Inbee Park plays her shot from the second tee during the first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship golf tournament at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 33 Home country: South Korea Resides: Las Vegas LPGA Career Victories: 21 Race to CME Globe: 5
Ariya Jutanugarn
Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand plays her shot from the first tee during day four of the The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 25, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Age: 25 Home country: Thailand Resides: Bangkok, Thailand LPGA Career Victories: 12 Race to CME Globe: 6
Lexi Thompson
Lexi Thompson and her caddie on the first tee during the first round of the AIG Women’s British Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 19, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Age: 26 Home country: U.S. Resides: Coral Springs LPGA Career Victories: 11 Race to CME Globe: 7
Brooke Henderson
Brooke Henderson of Canada tees off on the 9th hole during the pro-am prior to the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 18, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Age: 24 Home country: Canada Resides: Smiths Falls, Ontario/Miromar Lakes LPGA Career Victories: 10 Race to CME Globe: 8
Minjee Lee
Minjee Lee of Australia waves at the 18th hole during Day Three of the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 21, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Age: 25 Home country: Australia Resides: Perth, Australia LPGA Career Victories: 6 Race to CME Globe: 9
Nasa Hataoka
Nasa Hataoka hits her tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio on July 09, 2021 in Sylvania, Ohio. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Age: 22 Home country: Japan Resides: Japan LPGA Career Victories: 5 Race to CME Globe: 10
Sei Young Kim
Sei Young Kim tees off at one during the third round of the CME Group Tour Championship, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at the Tiburon Golf Club in North Naples, Florida.
Age: 28 Home country: South Korea Resides: South Korea LPGA Career Victories: 12 Race to CME Globe: 11
Danielle Kang
Danielle Kang of Team USA reacts during competition rounds of the Solheim Cup golf tournament at Inverness Club. (Photo: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports)
Age: 29 Home country: U.S. Resides: Las Vegas LPGA Career Victories: 5 Race to CME Globe: 12
Jessica Korda
Jessica Korda (USA) tees of on the ninth hole during the first round of the women’s individual stroke play of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 28 Home country: U.S. Resides: Bradenton LPGA Career Victories: 6 Race to CME Globe: 13
Moriya Jutanugarn
Moriya Jutanugarn tees off at the tenth hole during the first round of the LPGA’s 2021 Hugel-Air Premia LA Open tournament at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles. (Photo: Ashley Landis/Associated Press)
Age: 27 Home country: Thailand Resides: Thailand LPGA Career Victories: 2 Race to CME Globe: 14
Jeongeun Lee6
Jeongeun Lee6 of Korea lines up a shot during day three of the The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 24, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Age: 25 Home country: South Korea Resides: South Korea LPGA Career Victories: 1 Race to CME Globe: 15
Yuka Saso
Yuka Saso hoists the US Open trophy after winning in a sudden death playoff following the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Photo by Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 20 Home country: Philippines Resides: Philippines LPGA Career Victories: 1 Race to CME Globe: 16
Leona Maguire
Leona Maguire reads a putt on the third green during round two of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club on June 17, 2021 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Age: 26 Home country: Ireland Resides: Ireland LPGA Career Victories: 0 Race to CME Globe: 17
Celine Boutier
Celine Boutier (FRA) tees off on the ninth hole during the first round of the women’s individual stroke play of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 28 Home country: France Resides: France/Dallas LPGA Career Victories: 2 Race to CME Globe: 18
Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/
Jeongeun Lee6 enjoyed a historic day at the Amundi Evian Championship, birdieing her last four consecutive holes to shoot 10-under 61.
Jeongeun Lee6 enjoyed a historic day at the Amundi Evian Championship, birdieing her last four consecutive holes to shoot 10-under 61, tying the lowest round in major championship history.
Hyo Joo Kim shot 61 in Round 1 of the 2014 Evian.
Lee6’s 15-under 127 total opened up a seven-stroke lead midway through the second round and sets a new 36-hole record for LPGA majors, besting the 129 mark set by In Gee Chun at this championship in 2016.
The 2019 U.S. Women’s Open champ chipped in on the eighth hole and came to the reachable par-5 ninth hole (her 18th) with a chance to make eagle and shoot 60. But a leaked tee shot to the right, placed her in the rough, and she was forced to lay up. Lee6 then confidently drained a 15-foot putt for birdie right in the heart to take her place in history.
“I heard Hyo Joo Kim’s score,” said Lee6, “so last I missed fairway … I tried, third shot. Yeah, I made birdie. It’s amazing.”
Lee6 hit 10 fairways, 15 greens and took only 23 putts on her 10-birdie day. She said she planned to focus on her backswing and her targets the rest of the way. She had two consecutive top-10 finishes coming into this week.
David Buhai, whose wife Ashleigh plays on tour, has been caddying for Lee6 since the start of the year and felt she seemed hyper-focused during Friday’s round. Buhai said it was by far the best round he’d seen up close.
“Every putt looked like it was going to go in,” said Buhai. “It was incredible. Not one nerve. Speed was just perfect.
“I had the best seat in the house and I just kept my mouth shut.”
Japan’s Ayaka Furue shot 66-68 to get to the clubhouse at 8 under. Seven-time major winner Inbee Park carded a 64 that included a double-bogey on the first hole and holds a share of third with Thai phenom Atthaya Thitikul and American Lauren Stephenson, who both shot 69.
When Lee6 won the U.S. Women’s Open in Charleston, one of the first things she said through an interpreter at the winner’s press conference was that the next time she won a tournament she’d do the interview in English. Later that year, Lee6 delivered a beautiful and emotional speech at the Rolex Awards banquet when she earned Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year honors.
At the Evian on Friday, she was as clutch during a live Golf Channel interview with Jerry Foltz after the round as she’d been on the course. And, as Foltz pointed out, she was likely more nervous about that chat than the putt for 61.
“From a personal point of view,” said Buhai, “I mean, 6’s English from the first day I met her to now is incredible. She actually I think gets my jokes now, understands them, which helps.”
Lee6 confirmed that she and Buhai have the same sense of humor and that she continues to take English lessons from a Canadian tutor once a week.
Although LPGA players are still unable to dine out on tour, Lee said she still plans to celebrate the occasion with take-out: “I need delicious food.”
Jeongeun Lee6 enjoyed a historic day at the Amundi Evian Championship, birdieing her last four consecutive holes to shoot 10-under 61.
Jeongeun Lee6 enjoyed a historic day at the Amundi Evian Championship, birdieing her last four consecutive holes to shoot 10-under 61, tying the lowest round in major championship history.
Hyo Joo Kim shot 61 in Round 1 of the 2014 Evian.
Lee6’s 15-under 127 total opened up a seven-stroke lead midway through the second round and sets a new 36-hole record for LPGA majors, besting the 129 mark set by In Gee Chun at this championship in 2016.
The 2019 U.S. Women’s Open champ chipped in on the eighth hole and came to the reachable par-5 ninth hole (her 18th) with a chance to make eagle and shoot 60. But a leaked tee shot to the right, placed her in the rough, and she was forced to lay up. Lee6 then confidently drained a 15-foot putt for birdie right in the heart to take her place in history.
“I heard Hyo Joo Kim’s score,” said Lee6, “so last I missed fairway … I tried, third shot. Yeah, I made birdie. It’s amazing.”
Lee6 hit 10 fairways, 15 greens and took only 23 putts on her 10-birdie day. She said she planned to focus on her backswing and her targets the rest of the way. She had two consecutive top-10 finishes coming into this week.
David Buhai, whose wife Ashleigh plays on tour, has been caddying for Lee6 since the start of the year and felt she seemed hyper-focused during Friday’s round. Buhai said it was by far the best round he’d seen up close.
“Every putt looked like it was going to go in,” said Buhai. “It was incredible. Not one nerve. Speed was just perfect.
“I had the best seat in the house and I just kept my mouth shut.”
Japan’s Ayaka Furue shot 66-68 to get to the clubhouse at 8 under. Seven-time major winner Inbee Park carded a 64 that included a double-bogey on the first hole and holds a share of third with Thai phenom Atthaya Thitikul and American Lauren Stephenson, who both shot 69.
When Lee6 won the U.S. Women’s Open in Charleston, one of the first things she said through an interpreter at the winner’s press conference was that the next time she won a tournament she’d do the interview in English. Later that year, Lee6 delivered a beautiful and emotional speech at the Rolex Awards banquet when she earned Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year honors.
At the Evian on Friday, she was as clutch during a live Golf Channel interview with Jerry Foltz after the round as she’d been on the course. And, as Foltz pointed out, she was likely more nervous about that chat than the putt for 61.
“From a personal point of view,” said Buhai, “I mean, 6’s English from the first day I met her to now is incredible. She actually I think gets my jokes now, understands them, which helps.”
Lee6 confirmed that she and Buhai have the same sense of humor and that she continues to take English lessons from a Canadian tutor once a week.
Although LPGA players are still unable to dine out on tour, Lee said she still plans to celebrate the occasion with take-out: “I need delicious food.”
World No. 1 Jin Young Ko is making her 2020 LPGA debut this week at the Pelican Women’s Championship.
BELLEAIR, Florida – Jin Young Ko is back on tour and looking for the nearest Korean market. The World No. 1 learned to cook during her prolonged break from the LPGA and is in need of several spices to whip up evening meals. The inaugural Pelican Women’s Championship marks Ko’s first start on the LPGA in 2020. She played in six events on the Korean LPGA this season, carding four top 10s.
“I had been (to) cooking class and meditation, work out, practice a lot,” said Ko of her time off. “I have to cook more Korean food in U.S., so I went to the cooking class, and then I got a lot of things like menus, Korean menus, so I (cooked) this morning, last night too.”
Ko isn’t the only Korean player making a comeback this week. Jeongeun Lee6 last competed on the LPGA in Australia last February and makes her return to in Florida, gearing up for a title defense at next month’s U.S. Women’s Open.
Lee6 clearly spent time on her English lessons during the downtime, given that she answered many of the questions in her pre-tournament press conference without the aid of an interpreter.
In addition to her English tutor, Lee6 also credited her recent improvement to the Netflix show “Emily in Paris.”
Jin Young Ko is back this week at the @pelicanlpga! 👏
Ko answers most questions in English these days too, surely aided by the constant presence of her English caddie in recent months. David Brooker flew over to South Korea in late September after the Portland event and spent two weeks in quarantine before going to work for Ko on the KLPGA.
During the two-week break in between events, Brooker stayed with Ko’s family.
“He’s like family right now because he stayed (at) my home for two weeks,” said Ko. “My mom always cooked for him. Every meal, three meals a day. So he said, he told me he like gained weight.”
Ko is actually looking for a place to live in the U.S., noting that she’ll rely in part on Brooker to help her navigate that move.
The ankle injury Ko suffered late in 2019 only fully healed in June. She has since hired a new swing coach and noted that she wants to become more consistent with her short irons. Brooker said she’d like to get more height with her long irons, too.
Of course, practice facilities are tough to come by in South Korea, where the vast majority of courses don’t have a driving range. Ko spent most her time hitting balls off of mats at a multi-tiered range. She’d then have to drive an hour outside of Seoul to play 18 holes.
“It’s very rare to find a course that has everything you need,” said Brooker.
Lee6 admitted to feeling nervous coming back to the LPGA because she “wasn’t really satisfied” with her game in South Korea. She played in 13 events on the KLPGA, posting a trio of top-3 finishes.
Watching the (LPGA) in Korea, I really wanted to play and come but I didn’t,” she said. “I was a little scared to come.”
The two players have three events left to try and qualify for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla.
Last year, Ko and Lee6 together won three of the five majors on the LPGA schedule. In 2020, they’ve each missed all three majors that were contested. Ko was most notably absent from September’s ANA Inspiration, which she won last year. The Evian Championship, Ko second major title, was canceled in 2020.
“I missed this tour,” Ko said. “Also, I miss (being) competitive. I want to win again.”
